Letter to the Editor: Brownback's buggers

Dear Editor:

In the Topeka paper we read about a Topeka high school student who heard governor Brownback speak and “tweeted” friends with a critical comment about him.        

Every Kansan owes her a debt of gratitude.  She taught us that Brownback uses our taxes to hire staff and buy equipment to “bug” electronic messages to hear what people they say about him.  Brownback’s buggers really fixed that high school girl.  They “tattled” on her to her high school principal!   

She also taught a grim lesson to politicians, labor leaders, journalists, business executives and the rest of us.  Brownback’s buggers can see or hear our electronic messages and spin a “tattle-tale” to our boss, our customers, the credit bureau, our spouse or the police,  

  Ironically, the Topeka high school student also taught her teachers the risk if they criticize Brownback’s policies in government class or teach history students about totalitarian dictatorships that bugged citizens’ telephones.     

For better or worse, that Topeka high school student also taught us all how it feels to live in a society where free speech has a price.   

            Claude Lee  Topeka, KS.