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December 3, 2009

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Letter: Spying should be further scrutinized

Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 | 7:50 a.m.

Elbert W. Lemmon, in his Jan. 22 letter, cites the need for American citizens to give up "nonessential freedom" (his words).

His letter presumes that domestic spying, which bypasses the U.S. court system, is necessary and vital to fight terrorists (and somehow isn't really "spying"). And, in some way, this is a totally obvious and foregone conclusion, proven again and again.

Well, Russian President Vladimir Putin has used similar justification (fighting terrorists who endanger Russia) to significantly curtail freedoms over there to maintain "stability."

While it may not be fair to compare the democratic traditions of the United States and Russia, anything which inches our country toward a police state must be seriously scrutinized.

From what I have observed, it is not a foregone conclusion that domestic spying, which bypasses the judicial system, is a must. Do you think Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine would agree?

Glenn Balentine

Las Vegas

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