Defends the First Amendment

Concerning the letter written by Mr. Pete Gerard in the March 29 edition of the Thousand Oaks Acorn ("Shoot the messenger for printing bad letters"), I would first like to remind you that these are letters of opinion, and the last time I checked, freedom of speech and freedom of the press were still rights guaranteed to all Americans.

I must ask what makes your opinion more important than that of all of the other Acorn readers, that this fine newspaper should print your letter but not that of someone who has a different point of view than you?

Second, I'd like to tell you that it's rather tiresome to have my intelligence insulted.

Just because a person has faith doesn't mean that they "have abandoned reason." Some of the greatest minds in history have been followers of faith- - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein, just to name a few.

I really don't feel that it's fair of you to insult others just because you don't share the same opinion.

But this is just my opinion, because this is an opinion column, after all. Sarah Rowe Newbury Park