Letter: Americans continue to defy authority

But Americans despise authority, including the media. Just check the cars violating speeding laws every day on the streets of Las Vegas -- either on the highway or on city streets. They violate city codes on illegal parking -- red zones in shopping malls and hospitals. Why? Because they don't like someone telling them what to do.

Just recently I had to step over a trailer hitch because a person hauling his boat decided to park in the red zone in front of the store entrance so he could load his groceries. He gave me a funny look like, "Hey, what are you doing stepping over MY trailer hitch." I replied, "Mister, you are parked in a no parking red zone."

"So what?" he says. No respect. If I was a law enforcement officer this guy would also argue with me that he had a right to temporarily block a traffic lane because he did not want to park farther away from the store. Then he would be too tired to unload his boat at the lake. He might even pick a fight with the officer. Then he gets clobbered and arrested and all of a sudden you have police brutality.

All of this could be avoided. I never read about quiet arrests -- never. There is no story!

ANTHONY C. PAKULA

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