Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2002
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2002 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact:  http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Daniel J. Loran
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1750/a02.html

NEW CONFEDERACY

Editor -- I cannot believe my eyes, when I read that Santa Cruz city 
officials actually flouted the federal government and the U.S. Constitution 
by their deliberate and defiant violations of the Uniform Controlled 
Substances Act ("Santa Cruz joint effort hands out medical pot," Sept. 18).

Californians need to accept that they are only one state, that the U.S. 
Constitution is precedent over any and all rules and laws that groups of 
people, or states, enact upon others. In this nation, we must have 
faithfulness to Congress and the federal government. We must abide by laws 
and rules set by Congress, and if we don't agree with them the proper 
avenue is to use the process to change them. Defiance, for whatever 
reasons, is not acceptable.

It was this very same defiance, and lack of piety toward the unity of this 
national family, that caused the Civil War and the creation of Confederate 
states.

Though Californians aren't violating human rights as with the Civil War, 
the attempt to enforce Proposition 215 is no less mutinous to Congress than 
was the desire to maintain slaves.

I sincerely hope that our federal judiciary has the courage to arrest and 
prosecute these break-away, elected, "criminal" subversives of the Santa 
Cruz government. They have crossed the boundaries and broken their oath of 
office. Perhaps they would also like to have California renamed the 
"California Confederation"?

DANIEL J. LORAN, San Francisco
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