When Harsh Tactics of Extremists Target Honest People
Thank you for an insightful article on Rep. Steve Gunderson (“A Leader Falls Amid a War in the House,” Aug. 25). If ever there were a sign of moral and intellectual decay in politics, it’s this story of a Congress where members still think they can get AIDS just by being in the same room with people who have HIV.
More frightening still is Gunderson’s account of why he is not running for reelection. The so-called “religious” right screams foul when accused of fascist tactics, but the tactics Gunderson describes are straight out of Hitler’s playbook.
Good and honest people cannot long defend themselves against lies that are repeated, especially when they are repeated with big media bucks. One wonders how many other public servants decided not to run again in 1996 because of similar threats of personal attacks and hate campaigns from the radical right.
JOAN M. SANIUK
Ventura
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