Letters, Aug. 13, 1973

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Impeachment

Sir / If, as Gallup says, the majority of Americans believe the President culpable but overwhelmingly oppose impeachment [July 23], that is a sad commentary on the complexity of modern life.

If Nixon is indeed guilty and arrogantly refuses to resign, then he is a threat to the liberty of every American. In such a case, impeachment is the only recourse the Constitution provides. The process is fraught with uncertainty, and it is reasonable that people should fear it. But it seems strange that a nation quick to war against imagined enemies abroad should be afraid to protect its freedoms against subversion by its own leaders.

DON B. WITTENBERGER
Seattle

Sir / While I must readily admit that Mr. Dean's testimony appears quite damaging on the surface, if one looks at it closely it contains nothing that would support impeachment if not corroborated by others very close to Mr. Nixon.

CLARENCE J. ROBERTS III
Baton Rouge, La.

Sir / Nixon can never bring us together now; at the very best, he can only keep us dangling in this awful limbo.

DONALD F. SCOTT
Pocatello, Idaho

Sir / On the matter of impeachment: this country has survived a Civil War, two World Wars, a Depression, and a dozen or so assassinations. I think it could survive an impeachment. Such action could in fact strengthen the country by demonstrating that no one is above its laws.

RICHARD RYNEN
Madison, Wis.

Other Reflections on Watergate

Sir / The U.S. appears to have come full circle on the eye of its bicentennial. President Nixon implies that he is not answerable to the people as represented by the Senate investigating committee. He answers only to God. This was and is the answer of all dictators, tyrants and absolute monarchs. What a sad and sobering thing to see in a modern democratic state.

JOHN BLAIS
Ottawa

Sir / Why all the excitement over Watergate? What is taking place in Washington these days is simply a reflection of ourselves and that creed we have adopted as being gospel: Win!

We pay homage to those who advance that creed through testimonials, tributes, fame and adulation. We scramble for tickets to fill the stadiums and fieldhouses of those institutions and organizations that adopt the win-at-all-cost philosophy.

It is time that we look to other things in the education of our kids. We have an obligation to teach that the journey, not only the destination, is what life is about.

FRED HEINLEN
Baseball Coach
Shaker Heights Senior High School
Shaker Heights, Ohio

Sir / I stayed with Nixon all the way, even though thinking him guilty, until about two weeks ago when I saw he was continuing his old ways instead of housecleaning the leftovers in the White House, etc. I see no real change, just in me. I am turncoating. Now I don't believe anything he says.

I voted for him. I was wrong. But I didn't like McGovern at the time and still don't. Lord only knows what we really should have done.

MARY D. ISRAEL
Shermans Dale, Pa.

Sir / By crippling the President of the U.S., you cripple the U.S., yourselves and myself. This reflects poorly on your wisdom.

JAMES J. DUFFY
Livonia, Mich.

Living with Scandal