And Why Shouldn’t We Be Suspicious?

Re: “Suspicious Minds” (May 18): Why not be suspicious?

With the possible exception of Jimmy Carter, all our recent Presidents have incontrovertibly been shown to have lied to us.

Our governmental bodies need to own up to their errors and mistakes rather than obfuscating the truth by tactics such as the Justice Department not allowing pursuit of the Weaver/Ruby Ridge debacle by Congress because of a request by an Idaho-based deputy attorney general.

TAD DAVIES

Manhattan Beach

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I loved seeing the reference to our one-dollar bill in Richard Leiby’s article “Suspicious Minds.” The Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s explanation that the pyramid represents “permanence and strength” and the all-seeing eye represents “education and freedom and knowledge” was a hoot.

Symbols are interesting in that, depending on who is interpreting them, they can have different meanings. But you cannot just arbitrarily assign a meaning to them. It appears that this is exactly what our government has done. Symbols have history attached to them. That’s one of the reasons they are what they are.

May I suggest another interpretation? Because of outmoded ways of thinking, the citizens of this country are being forced into a stratified pyramid shape, the shape formed by economic status. The pyramid is not “unfinished” as the bureau states--the top is actually levitating. Those crafty pharaohs knew how to suck the power from below.

SUSAN C. SANDERS

Venice