Editor:

As an individual concerned about racial relations in our country, I was very pleased to attend Congressman Kolbe's town hall meeting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Kolbe brought together an educated and diverse group of panel speakers who gave informative presentations.

I'm sure you can imagine my intense anger when a group of extremist thugs disrupted the proceedings. Besides ruining the discussion on the critical issue of racial relations, these radicals displayed some of the most outrageous and offensive behavior I ha ve ever witnessed.

Racial epithets were hurled at Rep. Kolbe and others in a church and in the middle of a congressional town hall on improving race relations. I was embarrassed for Kolbe and his panelists who had to suffer this verbal assault.

I'm curious to know what drives people to extreme and inappropriate behavior. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that this charade was simply because of Kolbe's effort to help complete the Mt. Graham Observatory - an action that has received str ong press and public support.

I have no problem with different viewpoints, but there is a proper place and time to express them. Equating support for telescopes on Mt. Graham with racism is absurd and mean-spirited. The people responsible should be ashamed.

Paul Smith
assistant astronomer, Steward Observatory