By: Tony Belding
Re: Excessive Force

Here is a letter that appeared today in the Hamilton Herald-News:

Dear Editor,

   People are laughing about our Sheriff's Department, but it's no laughing
matter.  A man refused to give himself up to the sheriff, his crime wasn't
murder, rape, arson or theft, it was non-child support.  For this act of
defiance, swat teams were brought in from throughout Texas.  These adrenaline
junkies dressed in black, their faces masked to conceal their identity and thus
their accountability, ran amok in our county carrying the latest in hi tech sub
machine guns.  They even brought in a helicopter and a armored vehicle.  Didn't
law enforcement learn anything from Waco?  Ruby Ridge?  And will the sheriff
call on these paramilitary Nazi's to kick in our doors if we don't bow before
him.  After seeing machine gun toting, masked thugs running around Waco, Ruby
Ridge and now Hamilton, I and many other law abiding citizens are now fearful
of our government.

            Parmer Thompson
            Hamilton County

I will try to find out more about this and perhaps get the sheriff's side of
the story.  It should be interesting.  :-)