I hope all citizens who value freedom and free enterprise will read this letter.

Our federal government is threatening our freedom to choose the kinds of cars and trucks we can buy. Uncle Sam is proposing automobiles averaging 40 mpg and trucks averaging 30 mpg by 2016.

If this becomes law, we'll lose the option to buy a new full-size pickup or automobile, an SUV, a minivan or a real sports car, regardless of our family size, our business needs or our desires as fun-loving Americans.

Please examine the tiny cars that average Europeans and Asians are driving today. If our government has its way, within six years our choices will be limited to these cramped, less-safe econo-boxes or mundane hybrids.

Big Brother might be happier, but will you?

If this alarms you, please contact your congressmen, telling them that only American consumers and our free-market system -- not the government -- should dictate the kinds of cars and trucks we can buy.

Roy L. Wireman

Augusta