Letters to the Editor (July 17)

Due process a big to-do

President Trump has declared that any person attempting to enter the United States who is not a citizen shall be refused entry without the due process of law. Our Constitution does not allow anyone to take away the right to due process of law.

Once the door is opened to ignoring due process of law for some people, then any of us are in danger being denied our rights. This is a favorite tactic of dictators and it makes our Constitution so vital to all of us. Some may be turned away, but not before their request for asylum is heard in court.

I cannot trust that my rights will be upheld by a president who praises dictators, salutes dictators generals, drives away our Allies who have stood with us for generations, and snatches nursing babies from their mothers.

Thomas way off on Islam

Islam is no more a threat to Europe than Christianity or Judaism. Cal Thomas’ Wednesday column (“Is Europe awakening to the threat from Islam?”) stoked anti-Muslim sentiments and equated them inaccurately to authoritarian Nazi regimes is scary and irresponsible.

Nazi growth was from unfettered nationalism and hate, not the influx of migrants from other areas of Europe, as Thomas implies. Hate that is fomenting from supporters of our current president lacks factual basis, just as Thomas’ column.

Freedom of speech requires responsibility. As a columnist, Mr. Thomas has a journalistic responsibility to be accurate in his assessment.

I suggest Thomas spend a day in a mosque or eat a meal with a Muslim family. I believe he will find, as I have, that they are welcoming, kind, peaceful, loving and caring. And great cooks. They do a lot for our community and provide us with insight.

Numbers back up Mueller investigation

For those who believe the Russian investigation is a “rigged witch hunt,” here are the results through July 13:

▪ 187 active criminal charges

▪ 23 counts dropped as part of plea deals

▪ 32 people and three businesses named in plea agreements or indictments

▪ Six guilty pleas from five defendants

▪ 25 Russian nationals charged with crimes, including 13 people linked to Russian intelligence and four working directly for, or as advisors to, Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Hogwarts didn’t have this many witches.

Country over politics

I watch five hours of House Oversight committee hearings regarding FBI and Department of Justice actions surrounding the 2016 election by FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok.

The mission statement of committee is “to insure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of federal government and all its agencies. Good government requires a commitment to expose waste, fraud, and abuse. We identify problems, shine light on the situation, and propose reforms to prevent abuses from being repeated.”

The problem with this oversight investigation is the current criminal investigation by the Justice Department of violations of U.S. laws by foreign countries in our elections.

Their questions tried to exposed methods and sources of information. Even after the conclusion of this type of investigation, exposing methods and sources could aid our enemies in their efforts to destroy our country.

Exposing bias in the Justice Department is a valid reason for oversight, but must wait until after the criminal investigation is complete. Politics must stay out of this investigation. Country first, politics second.