HERNANDEZ SETTLEMENT DOES NOT EASE PAIN

Re: Aug. 13 editorial, "Settlement eases pain, but leaves questions":

In round numbers, the $1.9 million settlement the government proposed to
pay the family of Esequiel Hernandez Jr. represents the amount of money
collected in federal taxes every few seconds.

Somehow, I find it hard to believe that this will have any deterrent effect
on future government abuses.

This settlement may provide partial compensation to the Hernandez family
for the loss of their son, but it does absolutely nothing to protect my son
or anyone's child from being gunned down as long as government at all
levels is more interested in pursuing its mindless war on drugs than in
protecting the basic personal freedoms of Americans.

Atrocities like these (or the killings of Vikki Weaver, Los Angeles
millionaire Donald Scott, the Kent State students and so on) will not stop
until society is ready to hold the killers individually responsible for
their actions.

The settlement for the Hernandez family is less than one penny for every
man, women and child in America.

My government, acting on my behalf, shot and killed Hernandez for no good
reason. Now it expects me to pay one penny to his family to make everything
OK again.

Well, this may ease the pain of the Hernandez family somewhat, but it
certainly does not ease my pain.

John Wallace

Checked-by: Richard Lake