... you said you would do anything, Mike. All I saw was you criticizing Pete for speaking his mind.

I once wrote a newspaper commentary which started with the phrase, "The greatest threat to personal freedom in the United States today is local government." Which I believe to be true, with the state and federal governments running close behind.

Which is not to minimize the threat posed by terrorists; but that is a threat easily perceived and against which most people would readily resist. We are, as a people, all too ready to let our own government walk all over us.

The newspaper commentary. BTW, discussed three incidents of government abuse of local citizens, including a black man who detained by a Sausalito police officer for an extended period of time because he "turned away" when a police officer drove by, causing the officer to think he was "trying to hide his identity". The man was simply walking down the street with his girlfriend (who was white) and it was ultimately determined that he had no criminal record and was doing nothing wrong.

I have been involved in the criminal justice system for more than 25 years. I have seen everything Pete mentioned and then some. In Marin County, the differential treatment of black defendants, particularly in theft cases, in so wide spread that it has a special name (it's called the "East Bay enhancement", a reference to the fact that many of the black defendants come to Marin from Richmond, which is on the east side of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge across the bay).

The so-called "War on Drugs" is a national disgrace, the worst part of which is the "forfeiture" process by which the private property of individuals can be seized and sold by the government, even if the persons from whom it is seized are never even charged with, much less convicted of, any criminal offense.

I will post in another message some information in a similar vein.

And how about such high profile incidents as Waco? Ruby Ridge? Pine Ridge? Rodney King?

This is the greatest country in the world. But, it IS that in spite of, not because of, much of what passes for government these days.

----- jim o\-S