Street Activists

U.S. Magistrate Charles F. Fick gave permission for 21 activists arrested for blockading the federal building to plead a “necessity defense” and put U.S. foreign policy on trial (“ ‘Necessity Defense’ Used at Trial Over Building Blockage,” Metro, April 6).

But Fick qualified his action by saying that: “A courtroom is a very inappropriate and ineffective forum to debate the foreign policy of the United States government. Nothing is going to be accomplished by such proceedings and such debate.”

But if the street and the court are not appropriate forum, what is? Is the Congress where Democrats and Republicans debate both sides of the same coin called intervention and invasion?

Is the workplace the forum, where the prevailing motto is say anything but “don’t talk religion or politics?”

Or is the college campus the forum, where today there’s more activity in the halls of the business schools than the free-speech plaza.

Fick’s decision to allow for the discussion of U.S. intervention will prove a moment of truth for America’s 10-year war on El Salvador, and the extent to which people are watching will address Fick’s raised eyebrows.

ANDREW LIBERMAN

Los Angeles