Dear Editor, I appreciated Michael Ventura's recent article about immigration and pondered the depth of the facts he set forth for many days after reading the piece [“Letters @ 3am,” May 12]. In recent months the U.S. has become more of a hostile place where people are afraid to speak their minds about this issue, about the war, etc. I was so grateful that Michael was able to do just that in such an artfully articulate manner. John Stuart Mill once said that the clash of ideas is one of the major foundations of a democratic society. My hope is that we never forget that statement.