Oh, Say Can You See the Argument Here?

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is a citizen of the United States of America, a country whose imperfect system afforded him the opportunity to capitalize on his natural athletic ability to achieve a level of economic success the average citizen can only dream of. As an adult citizen, he entered into a legal contract (most eagerly, I’d guess), the conditions of which were explicitly spelled out. If he freely chooses to ignore his moral, ethical and legal responsibilities, he should be ejected from the NBA, barred from professional sports in this country and permitted to pursue his fortune under a regime that more closely fits his standards.

PAUL KNEIPP

Los Angeles

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Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is not some plantation owner’s lackey. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is a proud black man with as much right to see the flag as a symbol of repression as others have to see it as a symbol of freedom. As a free man in a free country, he is protected against forced participation in political displays not of his choosing. If NBA Commissioner David Stern can’t accept this, then not only is he in the wrong line of work, he is in the wrong country as well.

RONALD O. RICHARDS

Los Angeles

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Mahmoud, you don’t have to stand up when the national anthem is sung or when the flag is saluted. The Constitution of the land you so despise gives you the right not to do so. This same constitution and the land for which it stands, which I love with all my heart and for which I served in combat, gives me the right never to see the Nuggets play as long as you remain on the roster.

PAUL WASSERMAN

Northridge

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I would have had some respect if Abdul-Rauf had stood by his principle that Islam was more important than basketball, but it’s abundantly clear that money supersedes his declared faith.

BILL GEORGE

Los Angeles