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506 MCDONALD AVENUE
BROOKLYN 18, N. Y.
Pro
August 14, 1951
THE TRUMAN WASHINAL AND LIBRARY
Dear President Truman:
state
I have just listened to the rebroadcast of your
talk today before the American Legion in Washington. I agreed
with a great many of the things you had to say about how our
country is being turned into a spineless, hysterical land by
people who prey upon fears and use slander, guilt by associa-
tion and character assassination to build suspicion and close-
mindedness. And I agree with you that unless people of
strength and character get up the nerve to put a stop to this
we'll have no democracy left to defend against possible ag-
gressors.
As I listened, however, there were several things
that disturbed me. There seemed to be inconsistencies. Be-
cause I've always considered that you are an honest man (per-
haps this is in itself an indication of how much all of us --
even supporters -- are infected with the disease of suspicion
of the people we would ordinarily never think of doubting), I've
decided to take them up with you directly.
In all sincerity, this is what bothered me. (I
am impatient with myself for having to apologize for daring to
differ with my President -- how effective is the fear of being
called a Red because I exercise my right, even my duty, to ex-
press honestly the things I wonder about!). As I listened, I
asked myself, "Where did all these things start? How did we
get sucked into this whirlpool of fear and doubt and slander?"
And I realized, of course, that it started right
in Washington. Not in the halls of Congress, where it has
been nursed into such a prosperous, vicious handyman, but in
the executive branch. What set the pattern for the test of
guilt or innocence by association but the loyalty programs?
Where did the conclusive evidence of a man's Americanism ori-
ginate but in the Attorney General's list of subversive organi-
zations?
This is a touchy situation, I know. I do not
question the necessity of a government's setting up standards
to weed out people who work their way into sensitive positions
to do spying or sabotage for a foreign power. But how can I
reconcile this reasonable necessity with the sweeping, all-
pervading snooping into the lives and thoughts of decent people
who are as remote from sensitive jobs as a truckdriver? And
how can I reconcile a valid security check with the wild-eyed
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"ocrText": "X\n506 MCDONALD AVENUE\nBROOKLYN 18, N. Y.\nPro\nAugust 14, 1951\nTHE TRUMAN WASHINAL AND LIBRARY\nDear President Truman:\nstate\nI have just listened to the rebroadcast of your\ntalk today before the American Legion in Washington. I agreed\nwith a great many of the things you had to say about how our\ncountry is being turned into a spineless, hysterical land by\npeople who prey upon fears and use slander, guilt by associa-\ntion and character assassination to build suspicion and close-\nmindedness. And I agree with you that unless people of\nstrength and character get up the nerve to put a stop to this\nwe'll have no democracy left to defend against possible ag-\ngressors.\nAs I listened, however, there were several things\nthat disturbed me. There seemed to be inconsistencies. Be-\ncause I've always considered that you are an honest man (per-\nhaps this is in itself an indication of how much all of us --\neven supporters -- are infected with the disease of suspicion\nof the people we would ordinarily never think of doubting), I've\ndecided to take them up with you directly.\nIn all sincerity, this is what bothered me. (I\nam impatient with myself for having to apologize for daring to\ndiffer with my President -- how effective is the fear of being\ncalled a Red because I exercise my right, even my duty, to ex-\npress honestly the things I wonder about!). As I listened, I\nasked myself, \"Where did all these things start? How did we\nget sucked into this whirlpool of fear and doubt and slander?\"\nAnd I realized, of course, that it started right\nin Washington. Not in the halls of Congress, where it has\nbeen nursed into such a prosperous, vicious handyman, but in\nthe executive branch. What set the pattern for the test of\nguilt or innocence by association but the loyalty programs?\nWhere did the conclusive evidence of a man's Americanism ori-\nginate but in the Attorney General's list of subversive organi-\nzations?\nThis is a touchy situation, I know. I do not\nquestion the necessity of a government's setting up standards\nto weed out people who work their way into sensitive positions\nto do spying or sabotage for a foreign power. But how can I\nreconcile this reasonable necessity with the sweeping, all-\npervading snooping into the lives and thoughts of decent people\nwho are as remote from sensitive jobs as a truckdriver? And\nhow can I reconcile a valid security check with the wild-eyed"
}