Pubdate: Mon, 15 Jan 2001
Source: Concord Monitor (NH)
Copyright: 2001 Monitor Publishing Company
Contact:  One Monitor Drive Concord, NH   03302-1177
Fax: (603) 224-8120
Website: http://www.cmonitor.com/
Author: Bruce Chaffee

A REAL LOSS

Letter To The Editor

It is unfortunate that Tom Alciere's irresponsibly expressed views have 
caused New Hampshire to lose one of the few legislators in any state to 
propose legislation aimed at eliminating the government's efforts to 
reeducate our children in public schools, incarcerate law-abiding citizens 
in jails, mental hospitals and nursing homes, dispossess the elderly of 
their life savings and property and employ totalitarian police tactics 
against the general population in the name of preventing drug addiction, 
alcoholism and crime.

Alciere may well be a troubled individual. But judging only from his 
proposals, like Sam Adams, Paine, Henry, Lincoln, Wilson and a host of 
other "troubled" figures from history, Alciere sees more clearly than those 
around him and knows the public school system, protective custody laws and 
the war on drugs for what they really are.

Those complacent with the status quo can never provide true leadership. New 
Hampshire is free from an "embarrassment" at the cost of one of the only 
(potentially) true leaders to have gained elected office in decades. We 
should be less sensitive to embarrassment (or intimidation) and more 
sensitive to critical and objective thinking.

Bruce Chaffee

Boston
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