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 - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D