Birch Camp

What a tragedy that the John Birch Society and the parents should give their bright young people such a narrow view of what this country and the world is all about (“Birch Society Guides Young Campers to Right Path,” by Scott Harris, Metro, July 3).

I am sure that the Founding Fathers of this country were men of very diverse views who did not consider those holding opposing views as un-American (“There are Americans and then there are liberals”).

How many John Birch people would spend 26 years in jail, as Nelson Mandela has done, because he wanted freedom for 27 million of his people from a totally oppressive government, or exposed themselves to assassination, as Martin Luther King did, so that the black people of this country could have their rights as citizens to which everyone in this country is entitled.

My suggestion to these young people is do not let anyone, not the John Birch Society, not teachers, not friends and not even parents, keep you from learning all the facts and expanding your vision to see other points of view and to have compassion for other people and their struggle for freedom.

MRS. ESTHER O. SMITH

Santa Barbara