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Date: 2/11/01
Time: 2:23:25 AM
Remote Name: 209.102.67.206
Remote User:
A situation exists in our county that the Green Party may not want to address. It is the action of the Sheriff's Department against a targeted section of our less-privileged youth, those who in another generation might have been called 'rebels'. Dozens and dozens of these young citizens have been set up by the local police and arrested for marijuana and drug charges, and they continue to be as you read this. In the old days, these operations would have been called entrapment, and ruled illegal, but now they are acceptable. They are sophisiticated operations using video and audio surveillance, body wires, and informants. They involve countless hours tax-funded police and prosecutorial time. Many of the informants are those picked up for drug offenses and make deals with the police to entrap their friends. These actions breed mistrust throughout a segment of the community which the police see as "the enemy", but some of see as our children. Are these divisive police operations against our youth the will of the people? Is it what most islanders want? Is it an issue the Green Party wishes to address? From my perspective, if we believe in justice, we cannot turn our backs on issues of injustice. If we want a unified community, we cannot turn our backs on this divisive effort paid for by our taxes. If we want to empower youth and 'get them involved', we cannot ignore them in their hour of need.
Andrew Seltser