To the editor:

Just four years ago, three white southwest Kansas men, calling themselves “Crusaders,” were arrested by the FBI and charged with domestic terrorism. Why? They planned to blow up four explosive-filled vehicles at an apartment complex filled with Somalian refugees in Garden City, creating untold terror, havoc, and bloodshed.  

They also planned to sow chaos for the new president. They got 25-30 years.   

Tracey Mann, however, encouraged such terrorism and has gone unpunished. Not just unpunished – rewarded. After falsely accusing terrorism victims of being terrorists.    

His primary election ad accused opponent Bill Clifford of voting to bring Somalians “from a terrorist country” to Garden City. Yes, the same cheap-labor Somali war-torn refugees the Kansas legislature voted to bring to Kansas to help our economy.

The black-is-white, up-is-down, Orwellian nature of this charge, is simply, and breath-takingly, racist. Yet Republicans made him their First District candidate.  

Anyone running such ads is unfit for public office.   

Fellow Kansans, we are better than this. Our latest First District Congressmen have been unconscionably and uncritically obedient to unprincipled power. First District Kansans deserve a Representative who will improve our lives and diversify our economy.   

Mann will not do that. Kali Barnett will.  

Elect Barnett.   

David Norlin

Salina