A Garden Gone To Seed

Democracy is like a flower garden. If we don't tend to it, it will fall into
disrepair. We can't assume that just because our government was running
smoothly yesterday, it's ok today. And we can't make decisions based on
ideas such as " Whatever drug dealers get they deserve," or " should all be
locked up." If we do this, we are letting the weeds overpower the flowers.

I personally do not know very many " criminals " and it's hard to imagine
problems that are happening right now as I write this. I'm talking about
property being seized by police without due process. I'm sure this problem
is occuring due to overcrowding caused by overpopulation but that doesn't
make it right, and I think we have a responsibility to deal with these
problems in a more humane and democratic way.

Government officials become bounty hunters when they are given extra
authority to deal with the " drug problem "; they use conspiracy tactics
arresting people for just associating with known drug dealers ), plant
drugs, are rarely made to be accountable for drugs they seize and therefore
often have drugs with them. What if you are a writer like me and often
associate with many different kinds of people while doing research ? Do I
need to check in with my local " Nazi " police everytime I want to do
research?

Are we going to to let our rights slip away just because we don't want to
chop out the weeds ? The government should not be allowed to confiscate
private property.

Ms. Linda Phelps

Bend, Oregon