The Brave, Lonely Voice of Rep. Lee

Re “Rep. Barbara Lee: Rowing Against the Tide,” Opinion, Sept. 23: Much has been made of Rep. Barbara Lee’s (D-Oakland) opposition to the authorization of the use of military force in response to the appalling Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America. The California Democrat was outvoted in the U.S. House of Representatives 420 to 1. One can’t help but draw a parallel to Jeannette Rankin, the Republican from Montana who was the sole member of the House to vote against America’s entry into World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Rankin’s strict adherence to her pacifist beliefs on this issue ended her career as a member of Congress.

Rankin was dead wrong on this greatest of issues. Had America adopted a pacifist stance during World War II, Adolf Hitler would be the Man of the Century. As with Rankin, history will be the ultimate judge of Lee’s dissenting vote.

Horace G. Austin

Marin City

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I am a strong conservative. I believe the nation’s correct course is to hunt down and kill the man who has demonstrated he is a clear and present danger to this country. The same goes for all those willingly associated with him until such associations no longer exist. In spite of this, I applaud Lee’s dissenting vote because it proves the very thing that we, in our righteous anger, are intending to protect and defend--that we are still a democracy and no one will take that from us. I know that when the time comes she will not hold back in wishing our soldiers well and will pray for their safe return. I think that’s more than enough.

David M. Miranda

Covina

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The U.S. Senate voted 88 to 2 in favor of the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Lyndon Johnson the “green light” to pursue the war in Vietnam. History has shown that the incident that precipitated the resolution was a sham and that the Johnson administration lied to the Senate. The two dissenters were correct and 88 senators were tricked.

It is obvious that the Sept. 11 plane-crash incidents are not a sham and are all too real. But wise citizens and members of Congress should beware of giving the president and his administration carte blanche to do what they want without being accountable to the public. Lee is right to be cautious.

Gerald Bordin

Del Mar

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Please add Lee to the long list of recent American heroes.

Paul Mantee

Malibu

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At a time when our entire country stands united in the struggle against terrorism, united in our grief over the loss of life from terrorism and united in granting our president the power and authorization to use force to combat terrorism, as an American and a Californian I am appalled by, ashamed of and embarrassed for Lee, the one and only politician in the United States who has voted against our nation pursuing terrorism. I hope that at her next reelection bid her constituents let her know at the polls that she is alone in her position.

Michael Mitchell

Chino Hills