Oklahoma Gazette Letters to the Editor: Boundary issues

In reading the description of how police officers abused alleged code violations in order to harass and intimidate the owners of Angles back in the early ’80s (James Cooper, “From closet to community, part two,” Nov. 9, Gazette), I couldn’t help but be reminded of recent coverage (News, Clifton Adcock, “Midtown Mayhem,” Sept. 7, Gazette) of the ABLE Commission, whose activities in enforcing Oklahoma’s liquor laws contributed to the shutting down of the inaugural H&8th Night Market in August of this year.

The police harassment of Angles is a perfect example of government overstepping its proper bounds, going far beyond the mandate laid down by the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It is easily the equal of such recent abuses of government power as the harassment of Gibson Guitar Corp. or Boeing Co.

And yet, gay rights activists all too often insist that we accept government as the answer to our problems rather than the cause of them. The truth is the opposite: Sodomy laws are a perfect example of too much government — of government doing something it shouldn’t by violating the very rights it was created to protect. This is what happens when we forget that individual rights are limits on the power of government.

—Rob Abiera
Oklahoma City

Abiera is director of Oklahomans for Individual Rights.

Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to rcollins@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact number for verification.