POLICE FORFEITURE

It is high time we Americans scrutinize the quickening pace with which the
"police state" in America continues to grow and our basic civil liberties,
rights and responsibilities, granted by our Founding Fathers in the
Declaration of Independence, are being stripped away. Karen Dillon's
front-page articles about forfeiture of money and property in drug
investigations (5/21-22) serve to further illuminate this trend, and she
and The Star deserve high praise for them.

As a 32-year-old, gainfully employed Navy veteran, I can remember during my
junior high civics class, high school history class, my year as an American
Legion Boys State participant and my eight years of naval service how we
were encouraged to look to the Soviet Union, China and Cuba as examples of
totalitarian states where denial of basic human rights were mode de rigeur.

Shame on our leaders for irresponsibly diverting attention elsewhere when
such denial is pervasive right here at home.

I look forward to The Star's continuing coverage of this and related topics.

Kevin P. Carey, Kansas City