Last Saturday evening I was sure enjoying dinner at Snoqualmie

Days until I watched a policeman, who was smoking a cigar in front of

teen-agers, toss a still-smoldering cigar butt on

the street. (Not to mention that this is the peak of tinder dry fire season.) I

bit my tongue because you don’t argue with a cop, but what if I had

tossed my paper plate on the street in front of him? Is there much difference?

Forget illegal _ it’s just unprofessional.

I, too, am a public servant, and I’m quite conscious of how I treat

my people, especially in plain view. Granted, it’s a small offense and I

have no intention of being just another whiner, but this was Snoqualmie’s

day to shine and I volunteer in litter-control programs, which means I’m

the guy who gets to grovel in the dirt to clean up after _ a policeman? This

is not another drunk hurling beer cans or something that blew off a truck;

this is a law enforcement officer, our example, who is on the clock, in

uniform, and I pay his salary!

While I don’t think he was one of “Snoqualmie’s Finest,” don’t

expect me to endorse any D.A.R.E. programs with “teachers” who don’t

practice what they preach, and if I see it next year, expect a tap on the shoulder.

Ralph Westermann

Fall City