To:         The Dallas Morning News (I think)
Date:      January 18, 1989
Subject: Nicaraguan refugees from Sandinistas
Result:   not printed due to limited space

Dear Editor,

Why are all these Nicaraguans coming to the United States? So they have a communist government. Are they truly abused and repressed in their homeland, or doesn't maybe quite a bit of their unhappiness come simply from human eagerness to be unhappy?

Maybe the Sandinistas could accomplish more if they didn't have to contend with the revolutionary Contras - supported by us - who have had sufficient resources and power not to conquer or really do anything positive, but only to irritate and drain. I imagine that the majority of Nicaraguans, many of whom have been innocent victims of the Contras as well as the Sandinistas, would be happy just to have an end to the violent turmoil - speaking of democracy and what the people of a country want.

Certainly there is no problem in the United States that we feel should appropriately be addressed by violent means against us, as we have encouraged and enabled the Contras to employ. The difference is not clear to me.

Maybe the Nicaraguan rebels' and immigrants' unhappiness is incited to a considerable degree by our policies and support of the voices and arms of revolution.

It is not as if the Contras don't have plenty of shortcomings of their own. There is a legitimate question as to what kind of government they would provide. Plus don't forget, today's Sandinistas were yesterday's Contras.

I am in favor of supporting the Sandinistan government and seeing what they can do. We live in such a diplomatically sensitive world these days that I suspect they might surprise us. Our support in itself would increase the diplomatic pressure on them from all around to do good.

Thank you, John Vehon