Editor:

I would like to commend Catherine Navarro for her courageous and insightful article, “”Done in the Name of the Fatherland.”” I, too, have been taken aback by the realization that these days, any nonconformist speech is heatedly denounced as unpatriotic rather than respected as critical thinking. I consider myself a very patriotic American because I want people to support this country individually through their personal experiences and vocalize their opinions to help this country grow to its greatest potential.

As Navarro points out, blind conformity is more a sign of complacency rather than true patriotism, and it saddens me that national unity seems to come with the price tag of exclusive identity. As a woman of color in America, I don’t know which thought scares me more right now: the idea that I am not a “”true”” American or the idea that I am, and must therefore recognize other Americans of color as my enemies. Thank you for publishing such a thought-provoking editorial. At a time when the call for free thought is consistently overwhelmed by demands for single-minded vengeance, every voice against hate counts.

— Jeane Kim