"Seattle police Sgt. John Hayes said yesterday that the letter was prompted in light of recent citizens complaints and a Supreme Court ruling that cast doubt on legal medical marijuana use.

Let's see, now. The origins of the complaints are conveniently vague; who made the complaints? Isn't it conceivable that the so-called "plainants" are the police, themselves? Attempting to do covertly what they lawfully are forbidden from doing in a public fashion?

And, of course, you have to wonder; given the absolutely incestuous relationships between the police and anti-run 'concerned citizens groups', how many complaints probably came, not from nearby residents, but anonymous antis?

It really amazes me, sometimes. The rest of the world has some strange beliefs about Americans. Some foreign friends I know once asked me if I had a gun. I answered in the affirmative. They nodded their heads, as if I had confirmed something. I asked them why they had asked, and one told me that because American society is inherently violent, we all have to travel armed.

I tried to explain that the average American does not own a firearm, that we have very prohibitive (and blatantly unConstitutional) laws governing such ownership, and it's doubtful that many of the people who own them have ever fired shots in anger. but they thought it was a given that American=violent.

If that were true, then there would be scores of dead policemen shown on the nightly TV news laying still on the front lawns of MMJ users, for having the temerity to threaten their lives by denying them their medicine.

Whereas, in some countries I've 'visited', the first sign of a government tax collector or a cop snooping around the neighborhood is the trigger for a popular uprising. In those countries, they've been where we are heading; they've had the jackboot applied to their throats, with the the owner of such footgear smiling down at them and saying it's for their own good.

But push too hard, antis, push the wrong person, the man who's dying and has nothing left to lose, and you'll understand why it's not such a good idea.

Problem is, it may be the last thing you ever learn...literally.