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• Author: Krampitz, Edwin, Jr.
• Position: Letters

Charles Peters said in his November 2001 column ("Tilting at Windmills") that the FBI does not emphasize the prevention of crime but only the apprehension of perpetrators after the fact.

He is right, but even in the wake of September 11 we should all be thankful that this is so. Remember the past. Under J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI tried just such a proactive approach. The result was spying on and harassing citizens, including civil rights giants such as Martin Luther King and journalists including Fred Cook and Jack Anderson. While federal agencies such as the FBI deserve some blame for the attacks, they don't deserve all...