Letter: Let’s talk about how our freedoms work

Sunday, July 16, 2006 | 7:48 a.m.

The controversy and debate in your July 9 issue regarding both freedom of religion and the right of a student, Brittany McComb, to assert the influence of religion in her success bring a couple of interesting assumptions to the forefront.

Frankly, I feel that both the ACLU and the conservatives have completely missed the boat on this issue. The founders of our country defended our right to both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Brittany McComb should have the right to defend the importance of religion in her academic achievements and, conversely, the next student should have the right to defend the absence of religion in his success.

It wouldn't be a bad idea for both the ACLU and various fundamentalist and conservative organizations to sit down and set up some ground rules.

We have been sadly lacking for some time the ability of organizations of conflicting viewpoints to achieve compromises and argue intelligently. It is called maturity.

Walter M. Jackman, Las Vegas

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