On April 4, the Sun Journal printed a story, “Protesters claim mistreatment.” Anti-war protesters, in Portland, Maine, were breaking the laws in the process of their protest. When asked to pick up their belongings, including a tent that didn’t belong in the area of Monument Square, a protester told one of the officials to “drop dead.” When they resisted the police orders, they were physically removed.

I feel that there are certain people who don’t have the right to protest. People who are not citizens of this country and people who do not vote. To the rest, I say they have the privilege to protest. This is a freedom that we have in our country. We don’t have the privilege to break the laws of this country.

We don’t see the supporters of our troops getting arrested while demonstrating.

I wonder if all the law breaking protesters who have the “drop dead” mentality would have liked to go over to Baghdad and protest when Saddam killed thousands of his own people – men, women, and children – with chemical weapons. Would these protesters “say” to Saddam they were mistreated?

You can’t “say” much with your tongue cut out.

Ray Villani, Lewiston