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Show J. EDGAR HOOVER, FBI DIRECTOR, DEPLORES CODDLING OF CRIMINALS (Message from J. Edgar Hoover) Is the American Eagle in danger of becoming 'bald'V In an old fable, a bird meets a fisherman with a can of worms and asks him for one. "Sure," said the fisherman, "all I ask in return is one of your feathers." A feather for a worm seemed reasonable to the bird, so the exchange was made. The next day the bird was hungry again. He weighed the inconvenience of searching for food against the expediency of trading with the fisherman and decided in favor of expediency. After a few days the bird had traded off so many feathers he could not fly. He continued to make his daily trips tt the fisherman on foot until all of his feathers were gone. At this point, the fisTierman picked up the fat, naked bird and cooked him for dinner. As we enter the New Year, leaving behind a year marked with crime and violence, we might ask ourselves if the American Eagle has a full plumage or is he missing miss-ing feathers because of our expediency in bartering with criminals. A persuasive argumen. cm be made that the law-abiding law-abiding citizen's freedoms diminish in direct proportion to the increase of criminal activity in our country. His risk of becoming the victim of aserious crime increased 15 in 1967, and a similar rise is indicated for 1968. In many areas, fear forces the citizens to remain off the streets at night, and anxiety makes him suspicious of strangers. Some merchants are intimidated by thug who walk away with merchandise. More and more businesses busi-nesses are adopting policies not to accommodate the public pub-lic but to protect their property and thwart criminal assaults on their employees. The list of abuses keeps growing, and society's scope of rights and freedoms keeps shrinking. Certainly, under the rule of law those who abide by the law should have protection equal to that of those who break the law. Many Americans feel that they do not have equal protection. As we look to the future, we must bring the matter of crime and the criminal back into balance with the safety and Welfare of the public. Concern and pity for the lawbreaker cannot be permitted to deprive the peaceful citizen of his rights and freedoms. Palliative policies and appeasement are producing soaring crime rates and filling our streets with criminals who should be in jail. In 1969, let us resolve to have fair but vigorous law enforcement, prompt and decisive prosecution, and realistic punishment of criminals. In dealing with crime, expediency is a shortcut to disaster. Let us not trade our freedoms for a can of worms. J. EDGAR HOOVER. |