The Freemen, the Montana Militia and other government-hating groups offer, as the more pensive pundits write, "cause for concern." But the graver threat to civic order rises when authority alienates the David Lemmons of America.
Lemmon, a 40-year-old Marylander, was rushing his sick baby daughter to the doctor when a Baltimore County policeman clocked his car doing 50 mph in a 25-mph zone. The girl had been running a 104.7 temperature and was vomiting. When the policeman demanded to see Lemmon's driver's license outside the doctor's office, the worried father brushed past him, carrying his daughter inside.The policeman arrested Lemmon, leaving a fellow officer to stay with the ill and presumably scared girl. When other relatives arrived at the doctor's office, Lemmon was still in custody. A police spokesman says the patrolman was "absolutely" justified in hauling Lemmon off.
The IRS, the ATF, the FBI and other federal agencies anger a few Americans inordinately fond of automatic weapons. But the true catalysts of anarchy reside in squad cars, on the benches of divorce courts and at the unhurried windows of motor-vehicle offices.
All revolution is local.