Big Brother at the University of Massachusetts

To: Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry



I want to call your attention to a story that appeared today in the Standard Times of New Bedford. Under the headline: "Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior", the first paragraph reads:

A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book".

The story says that according to two professors the student requested the book because he was writing a research paper for a course in fascism and totalitarianism. The student was told by the federal agents that he was being investigated because the book was on a 'watch list' and that the student had spent significant time abroad. Another quote:

Although the Standard Times knows the name of the student, he is not coming forward because he fears repurcussions should his name become public.

If this story is true our government has committed an egregious violation of the student's civil rights. I urge you to investigate this matter. This incident smacks of the evils of McCarthyism.

Perhaps I could be investigated by the government because I bought a copy of "Mein Kampf" by Adolph Hitler. I wanted to know how a great nation, the country of poets and thinkers, could fall under the spell of that psychopath. Neville Chamberlain did not read "Mein Kampf". If he had, he would have known that Hitler would never be appeased. Stalin did not read "Mein Kampf". Or he would have known that 'lebensraum' meant the dismemberment of the Soviet Union. Unless we read "Mein Kampf", we can not truly understand how dangerous ethnic and religious hatred can be. No, the tragedies of Bosnia and Rwanda tell us that we have not learned the cruel lessons of "Mein Kampf."

In closing, I want to say that I agree with Senator Kennedy's remark that 'Big Brother' is running amok. I also support your efforts to bring this lawless president to account for his high crimes and misdemeanors.