Elizabeth Broderick

* Much has been written lately about Palmdale resident M. Elizabeth Broderick’s family feud with her not-so-favorite uncle, Sam. From this perspective, both need a good tongue-lashing.

If, as Broderick claims, her property was seized in 1993 for a criminal investigation, then the government must either file charges or return her property--now. Such official arrogance is precisely the sort of thing that fuels the “government is corrupt” fires.

Meanwhile, Broderick needs basic training in civics and economics. A functioning society cannot let its members address even legitimate government beefs in any manner they please. That’s chaos, not liberty. By themselves, fancily printed rectangles of paper bearing pictures of dead men mean nothing. Money’s true function is to reflect a society’s ability to produce goods and services. Too much or too little money fuels inflation or stagnation. Permit people to, in effect, print their own money (which is what Broderick’s warrants amount to) and you permit economic madness. And Broderick should carefully consider that, under her logic, some of her clients who paid her $125 and then could not use the warrants she issued could haul her into their own common-law courts and punish her as they choose for fraud.

Screaming about one’s rights, without acknowledging one’s civic and economic responsibilities as well, is more the act of a self-indulgent child than a genuinely injured party.

TOM BRAUN

Littlerock