As a member of Friends of Latin America who participated in last semester's demonstration protesting against the CIA presence at Penn State, I am very concerned about the message that the University is giving to the University community by bringing charges against four participants in this non-violent protest.

A university should encourage students to learn about the world around them and speak out for their beliefs.

The students who felt the moral obligation to protest the CIA's presence on campus had learned about the terrorism, torture and murders of civilians instigated, supported and carried out by the CIA all over the world.

We don't feel that our tax or tuition dollars should be used to support any of these "covert actions."

As David McMichael, ex-CIA agent who spoke at Penn State last fall emphasized, the CIA should be abolished because the whole structure is organized not around intelligence gathering, but carrying out illegal covert operations.

T.V.'s Frontline series exposed the CIA drug connection for funding of war operations during the Vietnam War, the CIA was intimately involved in the Iran-Contra affair, and CIA involvement in overthrowing the popularly elected government of Salvador Allende in 1973 in Chile is well documented.

These are only a few examples of why we as citizens of the United States must refuse to support CIA activities. As a student of this university I don't feel we should condone CIA terrorism killings by giving them space on campus or by doing CIA funded research.

Nicaragua in current years has been a good example of needless, pointless CIA terrorism. During times when the U.S. hasn't been officially supporting the Contras militarily, the CIA has continued support.

We have a democratic government that is supposed to operate with checks and balances, yet the CIA feels free to act outside of the system without the support of people in the U.S. (as expressed by our elected Congressional representatives, as well as public opinion polls).

In my visit to Nicaragua in 1985 it was clear what kinds of tactics the CIA-backed contras were using -- my first week there they ambushed a bus of civilians, killing some and kidnapping others.

Teachers and farmers were also prime targets as the contra wanted to destabilize the country and destroy the progress the Nicaraguans have made since the Somoza dictatorship was toppled.

These are a few examples of why I believe that it is very important for us to learn about CIA activities and put an end to these atrocities. We must also remember that anyone who is not taking a stand is in fact making the statement that they support the status quo and they don't care that we are killing innocent people all over the world.

I urge the University to change its tactics and encourage students to raise their voices and stimulate discussion rather than squashing such attempts.