VIGILANTE DRUG SEARCHES HAVE NO PLACE IN COLUMBIA

Editor, the Tribune:

Forty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed that Americans would not be
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

King's dream is unfulfilled today in Columbia when poor residents are
forced to undergo random, dog-assisted home invasions by private
individuals.

On July 1 the residents of Columbia Square, many of whom are black,
weren't subjected to the dogs of John "Bull" Connor, but they were
subjected to the dog-assisted home invasions conducted by property
supervisor Dan "Bull" Fletcher. "Bull" Fletcher does not have the
right to play vigilante in our community.

Columbia Square residents have been targeted because they don't have
political or financial clout. The Columbia City Council would be
outraged if dogs were sent to their homes or to the home of Stan
Kroenke and they were all forced to allow dogs to roam through their
houses and personal belongings.

I call upon the city council to stop these searches, and if they
decide to keep poor people as second-class citizens, then we Columbia
residents should pass an ordinance ourselves protecting the privacy
rights of all Columbians.

Frankly, these invasions are an embarrassment to our entire city. As
King declared, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Columbians should not stand silent as the tenants of Columbia Square
are not judged by the content of their character but by the content of
their bank accounts.

Anthony Johnson

821 E. Walnut St.