To the editor:

In response to “Federal failure” on Feb. 11, we were curious as to how dismissing every senior officer of the national government during a time of crisis would benefit our nation? Additionally, President Bush’s proclamation of failure would simply throw an already traumatized country into panic. Should Bush and the CIA be apologizing for not spying on their own citizens? Perhaps if the FBI had installed listening devices in our homes and public buildings, they too could be held responsible for the grand “failure.”

What justification do you suggest for the suspension of Article II of the Constitution in handing power to Gore and Sen. Lieberman? Now who’s out of line? Is it Bush for following the due process of law, or Mr. Carleton for advocating passing blame to Republican leadership? Would or should Gore have handed power to Bush if roles had been reversed?

Perhaps what Mr. Carleton is missing is the bigger picture. The roles of the Constitution, the FBI, the CIA, the military, Congress, and the presidency are not to spy on the world in order to ensure our safety. Installing new leadership in the midst of a crisis would simply expand the scope of the disaster from the economic and social scenes to the political as well. Must we further impair ourselves?

As terrible as Sept. 11 was, the voluntary decapitation of the national government would have been the only way to make the day worse.

Andy Sneegas,

Ethan Andyshak,

Lawrence