I was alarmed by Paul St. Jean’s recent letter to the editor (Dec. 23). Apparently, Mr. St. Jean wants to do away with free speech and the right to disagree with the wrongheaded policies of the Bush administration. He wants to send the secret police out to arrest those who disagree.

First of all, there has been no declaration of war. Perhaps Republicans have forgotten that only Congress may declare war and that the president can’t declare war by himself. In fact, the War Powers Act allows the president to undertake military operations only for a short period of time without congressional authorization. The White House received congressional authorization for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but no declaration of war has been made. Therefore, we are not at “war” and the president is not a “wartime” president.

Republicans hope to keep this war going. They hope to scare the American people with continued terrorist warnings. They needed Sept. 11 and a War on Terror to maintain power so they milk both for all they are worth. This is all too reminiscent of the 1950s and the “Red menace.”

The president doesn’t have my support for this war on terror. Until this administration obeys the rule of law and the Constitution, and recognizes our rights as citizens of this country to disagree, it won’t have my support.

Judson R. Duncan,

Monmouth