Rights, privacy and the administration

Re “New Furor Over NSA Phone Logs,” May 12

While Republicans claim they are against big government, they are obviously in favor of Big Brother, big-time. Orwellian conceits such as spying on citizens, monitoring phone calls and e-mail (that would be a new one even on Orwell), kidnapping suspects and sending them to secret jails in remote countries, torture and propaganda all indicate this is so. They’ve been lucky so far that the righteous right seems to accept that “freedom is slavery” and “love is hate.” But perhaps, come November, Big Brother will be reduced to the pipsqueak he deserves to be, and we’ll return to real American values such as fairness and justice for all.

KENNY FEUERMAN

Beverly Hills

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President Bush closed his statement on the National Security Agency phone data issue with a familiar sentiment: “Every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy.” Perhaps the president would benefit from another perspective. I believe that the systematic erosion of our constitutional democracy under the current administration gives aid and comfort to our enemies.

MELISSA SWEENEY

Santa Monica

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I find it highly ironic that AT&T; took out a full-page ad in The Times to try to persuade Californians to let it compete in the cable market on the same day that the front page discussed how AT&T; has given the government records of every single phone call made on its network in the last few years. Why in the world would we want to give AT&T; cable access to people’s homes after this latest revelation? So it can tell the government what we’re watching on TV as well?

BRIAN BALTA

Pasadena

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I strongly suspect that the latest revelations about the NSA collection of millions of telephone records represent only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the full extent of the Bush administration’s domestic surveillance program. If this activity is not illegal, it should be. As a citizen, I call upon Congress to rein in this administration. Bush says he is doing this to protect us; I say he is undermining the freedoms he claims to protect.

JOHN TRASK

Thousand Oaks

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Why doesn’t Bush just call a news conference, stride to a podium on which a paper shredder is placed and run the Constitution through it?

JUDI BIRNBERG

Sherman Oaks

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The Times’ article “As Tech Advances, Privacy Law Lags” (May 12) provides a good point but neglects the underlying concept. No collection of laws or regulations will protect us from people who lack the moral and ethical foundation, as well as the inclination to understand why privacy must be respected in order to maintain a truly free society. The administration has continued to exhibit a total disregard for these ideals. It will be our loss in more ways than one.

KEN MARCUS

Los Angeles