FREEDOM FOR ALL

The title of Dary Matera's column on 4/17/03 "To have freedom, 'let people
be free' " regarding the firing of Marc Victor as a pro tem judge on his
first day for refusing to hear drug cases says it all.

You cannot have freedom for all unless you allow freedom for all.

Over the course of America's history, we have somehow become the very
essence of what the founders of our country revolted against: a country
governed by arbitrary laws designed to oppress, repress and stifle
individual freedom.

Hypocritical by nature, the Puritan obsession with control over the lives of
others can be observed in legislation that criminalizes the use of some
drugs, prostitution, gambling - all of these victimless "crimes."

We see people on Prozac, Xanax and Vicodin who demonize people who choose to
use marijuana and other non-prescription drugs, a k a "street drugs."

We see people passing laws against gambling who make an exception for
casinos on reservations across the country run by Native Americans and
state-run lottery games - newly created monopolies operating with the
approval of the government. Just don't try running a poker game yourself.
You'll be labeled, arrested and tried in court as a criminal.

Thumbs up to Dary Matera for writing the first fair report I've seen on Marc
Victor's having been fired for his strength of character, and for being a
true American citizen with the courage to point out laws that threaten our
heritage of freedom.

I hope Marc Victor does run for county attorney on a platform of doing away
with prohibition laws and concentrating on the prosecution of the murderers,
rapists and child molesters freely preying upon our kids.

Marlene Keller

Mesa