Letters to the editor

Rationalizing wrongThe U.S. Senate, in voting on Feb. 12 to declare President William Jefferson Clinton "not guilty" of perjury and obstruction of justice, may have been more decorous in its conduct and deliberations of the charges against the president than the House of Representatives, but it was nevertheless as openly divided along party lines.

The "historian" of the Senate, Sen. Robert

I would like to hear any senator who voted "not guilty" state what he or she would tell grandchildren about lying and obstructing justice. I suppose, sadly, that they could rationalize that, as well. What are conscientious social studies teachers to make of this? How can anyone be expected to explain "right and wrong" in this social climate?-- ALBERT L.COBB, Topeka. Reprehensible actionThe charade is over. Congress has gone through the motions of dealing with the crimes of the president of the United States by impeaching him, and the Senate has gone through the pretense of acquitting him. Nearly all were agreed that his actions were "disgraceful" and "reprehensible," but not enough of them (including all of the Democrats) thought that sufficient to remove him from office. (Imagine a future presidential campaign slogan. "Vote for me! I'm disgraceful and reprehensible!")What message has our nation sent to Mr. Clinton? And what should "we, the people" now expect from the president as a result of this message?The message is that "the rule of law" and not of men is dead. Long live "the rule of men"!We should not be surprised when any of the following events occur:n "Payback time," in which all who dared to oppose him will be punished for their "offenses." - The president will continue to make grandiose, unfulfillable promises and blame his opponents when they are not carried out. - "His Majesty" will need something to do with himself when his term expires, and he won't want it to be prison time. To help him out, a "friend of Bill" proposes a constitutional amendment to allow him to seek a third term. Since amendments take time, Mr. Clinton announces his candidacy for a third term, with or without an amendment. His "approval ratings" are announced to be at 70 percent. Still, elections are risky. Thus, the president precipitates a "crisis" and cancels or "suspends indefinitely" the next election, promising to "stay on and do the work the American people sent me here to do" for as long as the "crisis" continues. His "approval ratings" soar over 80 percent. Why not? Who will tell him he cannot do it? Congress is afraid of him and of the media that favors him. "The people" are brainwashed by the media, which is owned and financed by the wealthy power brokers whose agenda Clinton is carrying out. There is a great evil in Washington. It is the kind of which our Lord spoke when he said, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting." Lent is on. If enough people pray and do penance and fast in reparation for the sins of our nation, God may yet have mercy on us and spare our land from the godless tyranny even now being fastened upon us. "But unless you do penance, you shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13: 3)-- DAVID MELECHINSKY, St. Marys. Encourage candidatesKids Voting Kansas, with the Black Lawyers Alliance and the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, was privileged to co- sponsor the City Council Candidate Forum. We would like to thank everyone involved in producing this forum, including the city staff who were responsible for filming the event. We would like to extend a special thanks to the candidates. We often trivialize local government, but it has more direct impact on our lives than the statewide or national offices that garner more attention. Local politicians, because of their accessibility, attract a disproportionate amount of criticism from others who are not willing to serve. Let the candidates know you appreciate their willingness to run for office, to face the scrutiny of neighbors, to be cast into the limelight. Nothing takes the place of good people doing a good job, and good people must be encouraged to run for office. The best way to show your appreciation is by voting on April 6. -- DEBRA HIEBERT, executive vice president/CEO, Kids Voting Kansas. Don't expect tax cutHey taxpayer, think again if you thought there was going to be some kind of tax cut. It all sounded good before the election, and a lot of people fell for it. It was just like a few years ago when we thought the real estate tax went down. But what did they do? Raise the mill levy, so here we are back at ground zero. You don't think these elected officials are going to give up taxing your car -- they think it's their money. Or don't you know that?-- STANLEY LLOYD, Quenemo.

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