I applaud Larry Coonradt for listening to Rush Limbaugh's CPAC address (Forum, March 19).

My advice, though: Keep listening.

Yes, Limbaugh expresses distrust of an authoritarian government -- as should any citizen who cherishes his liberty. Born to freedom, Americans tend to believe it's the natural order of things, when in fact, as Ronald Reagan observed, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. … It must be fought for, protected …." No one knew this better than the Founding Fathers, about whose writings Mr. Coonradt has some peculiar notions.

Thomas Jefferson declared "That government is best which governs least."

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to conclude that Mr. Jefferson must be whirling in his grave at the current effort by President Barack Obama to increase our government to a size and scope unprecedented in history, using taxpayer money in amounts that exceed our comprehension.

With each new bill touted as "crucial" for the economy, the government is getting more control over banks, health care, jobs, housing and more. It's an all-out assault on capitalism and the form of government conceived and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Contrary to Coonradt's assertions, these inspired documents eloquently and precisely delineate the appropriate relationship between government and those governed.

This is noteworthy in light of, for instance, Coonradt's incomprehensible 76-word sentence that begins, "These rights spelled out in the Constitution imply that sometimes when the individual rights of one group or a collection of many groups are stepped upon by the self-imposed rights of a group with supposed power over those oppressed and suppressed groups, then it may become necessary for authoritarian government to step in and democratically … redirect the … country … ." Whew.

It's not surprising that Coonradt makes no attempt to indicate where the Constitution "implies" that "sometimes" the government "may" become authoritarian, since the only place it does so is in Coonradt's mind (a particularly creative aspect of which is exactly how authoritarian rule might be imposed "democratically").

Nevertheless, guessing to whom or what Coonradt was alluding with all those groups imposing or being imposed upon by other groups or "collections of groups" of oppressed, suppressed, or undressed individuals referenced in that sentence shall go down as one of the most profoundly mind-bending exercises ever.

Coonradt also claims that "sometimes" strong leadership means "imposing mandates," and cites segregation and civil rights injustices as examples of such times. The trouble is, no mandates were imposed to right these wrongs.

They were righted by the legislation process the founders set forth in our Constitution. Acting outside of that authority constitutes authoritarian government. Authoritarianism isn't leadership. It's dictatorship. That's what concerns Rush Limbaugh. Based on the constitutional circumventions happening in Washington, he's not "reactionary," he's the voice of sanity. We'd all better be listening.

Julie Gilbart lives in Murrieta.