"Philip Sondericker" wrote in message
...
in article , Jeb at
wrote on 1/10/04 10:35 AM:


So alarmed was the Staples clerk at the prospect of the ten year old
learning to fly, that he informed the police, the Greenfield Recorder
reports.

Well, I think it's a safe bet that I'd be picketing that store about 5
minutes after the cops visited. And if I thought I could get away with it,
I'd beat the **** out of that snoopy clerk. I hate people like that.


As a former cop- and admittedly proud American, I'd like to put this into a
slightly different perspective.

Obviously this Staples incident is distressing IF it really happened-- I
haven't found the supporting docs yet. Assuming the story has veracity,
then what the Hell is wrong with the cops!? It understandable that the
store management and the clerk who likely have little or no training in
security, could consider such an innocuous request as some kind of security
threat. But I ask again. WHAT ABOUT THE COPS!!?

Surely this "security violation" had to go through some sort of chain of
command at the police department before an individual officer was sent to
these folks home. What was THEIR thought process, if any? I find far more
fault with the police in this matter than the Staples store. (Remember
please- NOT a cop hater speaking here.)

Additionally, going to the store to picket or "... beat the **** out of that
snoopy clerk" seems like a ridiculous response. Possibly, a letter of
concern to Staples corporate office, and maybe a similar letter to the
editor of the local newspaper might be more effective. If we are to protect
GA (and all of our other liberties), we must be vigilant but reasonable in
our responses to these incursions away from sanity. Otherwise, we'll never
be able to get enough mainstream support to realize the balance we need
between security and freedom.

Unbridled passion, while useful in certain circumstances g often adds more
heat than light.

I feel better. How about you?

VideoGuy