TIME TO SPY ON YOUR NEIGHBORS

The arrival of spring means different things to different people.

For some, it's time to get out and breathe fresh air and work off
those extra pounds gained over the winter. For others, it's time to
plan projects, vacations and other such things.

To the Indiana State Police, spring is the time to spy on your
neighbors, be suspicious of their activities and anoint yourself as a
vigilante.

This might be funny, if the implications of this ridiculousness
weren't so sobering. Ponder the message behind this recent news
release from Indiana's finest.

"With spring just around the corner many people are preparing plants
for home gardening," the message begins.

Yeah, no kidding.

"Unfortunately marijuana growers use this time to prepare their
plants. They will soon be planting their starter plants in farmer's
cornfields, on hiking trails and in remote areas. They will then
transport water and fertilizer to them on a regular basis. That is
where you, the eyes and ears of the community come in," the release
continues (lack of commas and misplacement of the possessive
apostrophe also courtesy of ISP).

"We depend on the public to call in suspicious people, vehicles,
plate numbers and activity to keep marijuana out of the hands of our
kids and family members. Please watch for individuals carrying small
potted plants, jugs of water or fertilizer to remote areas or into
cornfields.

"We are here to serve the public. Checking out suspicious activity is
what we do. Don't let one marijuana grower get away because you did
not think it was important enough to call."

Now at this point, you might think, well, if people are carrying
gardening tools and equipment into remote areas, the state police
might have a legitimate point here. The bit about marijuana falling
into the hands of "kids and family members" lays it on a bit thick --
as does the implied horror of allowing even "one" marijuana grower
to get away.

But, read on.

"Master Trooper Kurt Feather asks the public to also watch for
suspicious activity around homes which may be related to indoor
grows. Suspicious activity includes taking large amounts of
fertilizer inside, purchasing expensive grow lighting, blacked out
windows, outbuilding with air conditioners, an excessive number of
buckets and pots laying around and utility meters that have been
tampered with."

OK, now meter tampering, that's bad. Shocking, even. But demonizing
grow lights and excessive amounts of buckets and pots? Please.

Food prices are skyrocketing, consumers are becoming increasingly
concerned about herbicides and pesticides, and both food and flower
gardeners are gearing up for the growing season. Gardening is good,
and many gardeners are indeed growing starter plants from seeds by
blacking out windows, turning on grow lights, using fertilizer and
transferring plants from one size of pot into another. To suggest
that legitimate and legal gardening activities be scrutinized by nosy
neighbors is both wrong-headed and over-reaching.

Why not suggest that every gun owner is a potential murderer?

The federal government is doing its best to inject fear and suspicion
among the citizenry -- ironically upping the terror factor that
terrorists seek to create. Do we really need the state police adding
to the mentality that Big Brother is watching but he needs help?

They're talking about marijuana here, not heroin, methamphetamine or
other dangerous drugs. And what they're not talking about is
burglary, assault, theft or other violent crimes. From where does
this reefer madness come?

Perhaps the key to understanding this "rat on your neighbor" campaign
is buried in the news release. According to Marijuana Eradication
Sergeant Jeff Kastenschmidt, the state raked in more than $1 million
in property seizures related to marijuana cultivation charges.