PRIVACY RIGHTS THREATENED

A truck, with no drugs, but carrying more than $2 million, is stopped
by the DPS near Bovina because the driver is not wearing a seatbelt.
The driver cannot explain the money, and is released. The money is
evidently to be deemed illicit drug money and legally gobbled up by
the DPS and the Parmer County DA's office.

Let's see here. If I have in my car $5,000 which for some reason I
choose not to explain when stopped for not wearing a seat belt, does
that money automatically go to the arresting officer or his agency?

Must I also prove the origin and legality of any guns, ammo, knives,
alcohol or prescription drugs I am carrying -- or automatically become
eligible for forfeiture of these items, or possible prosecution?

These things sound good on the surface, but danger lurks. Flowing from
all the drug hysteria is a very serious and sinister transfer of
privacy rights to state rights ... and we're all going to be
(expletive) awful sorry.

HERB CHILDS, Lubbock Via e-mail