Pubdate: Tue, 11 Oct 2005
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Section: Pg A16
Copyright: 2005 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Bill Pierce

GOOD GOVERNMENT OBEYS THE LAW

I agree with the Oct. 4 editorial "Imported Drugs and the Law" about 
Montgomery County Council President Tom Perez's pursuit of 
legislation to allow the importation of drugs from Canada despite 
federal law to the contrary. However, the editorial did not go far 
enough in pointing out the danger of a government knowingly breaking the law.

What kind of signal does it send to county residents and employees 
when the council and its president pursue legislation that the state 
attorney general, the council's lawyer and two independent law firms 
have determined to be illegal? "Good government" means that if you 
can't change a law or have it overturned in a court, you must live 
with it, not knowingly break it. Civil disobedience is the domain of 
citizens, not government.

Bill Pierce

Silver Spring
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman