NEW REPUBLICANS?

I remember hearing about the "new" Republicans, the party with the
Libertarian ideas. Get government off our backs, out of our lives!

Use the states as great laboratories for new ideas! Lower taxes! They had
all the right "sound bites." Now their true colors are shining brightly.

Having successfully circumvented the Bill of Rights with his "anti-
terrorist" legislation, John Ashcroft is attempting to negate Oregon's
Death With Dignity Act.

Ashcroft's religious-right contingent doesn't like it, so he's ordered the
DEA to revoke participating doctors' licenses.

He opposes California's medical marijuana laws, so he's had the DEA raid
caregivers, confiscating computers and thousands of patient records.
Forcing very sick people into the black market.

We hear of scarce resources, but Ashcroft was able to muster these agents
even with terrorism supposedly his top concern. Obviously, states-rights
considerations are nonexistent in this administration.

It is obvious the intelligence and law enforcement communities badly
bungled their top job, protecting American people from foreign threats.
Ashcroft's ill-advised actions are great examples of the justice
department's incompetence and illogical priorities.

Even worse, Americans who are mostly uninformed and usually rank security
above liberty are blindly asking for more government and willingly giving
up freedoms that once were the hallmark of our great country.

DAN SCUPIN

Destin