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The Miami Herald >  Opinion >  Letters to the Editor

Stroking paranoia

 

The term “McCarthyism” was coined to describe the bullying tactics of Sen. Joseph McCarthy who, for too long, was allowed by a cowardly media to take advantage of the rampant paranoia of the 1950s. Today we are seeing something similar with the rise of Sen. Rick Santorum. Based on his recent utterances, it is easy to imagine him asking: “Are you now or have you ever been in favor of abortion, amniocentesis or birth control?” and shunning those who answer Yes.

Our Founding Fathers wisely put the First Amendment in our Constitution. A president’s duties are many and diverse, but being a national religious leader in charge of what we should believe is not, and should never be, one of them.

Robert E. Panoff, Pinecrest

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