Replies

Rod Serling was so very prescient with his many episodes of the "Twilight Zone" - still seen on various cable channels and in video format. I highly commend the episode : "Nightmare on Elm Street" as a perfect illustration of the societal consequences when suspicion of each other is sewn among the citizenry.

The local government in Pittsburgh has implemented a kind of a paid TIPS program: An informer can annonymously turn in a report of an individual possessing a handgun which he believes may be illegal for the cops to check out. No need for other manifestations of criminal activity or knowledge of a history of criminal activity on the part of the subject. If it turns out to be an illegal possession, the rat ... er.... informant... stands to collect $100. If not, well, it was a training exercise in big brother's further intrusions into the lives of law abiding citizens.