The comment in your latest issue from the bureaucrat, saying 50,000 petition signatures have no effect on policy-making, sounds exactly like the last public expressions of Marie Antoinette before they cut her head off (HCN, 6/27/05: Writing a comment letter? Better make it good). When the French peasants were starving for bread in the late 18th century, the queen supposedly said, "Let them eat cake." The people cut her head off so she wouldn’t say any more things like that.

The federal employee you quoted sounds similarly dismissive and ignorant of the actuality. I believe his kind is in similar trouble, whether they know it or not. I wouldn’t actually cut off the heads of bureaucrats, of course, nor have it done, but they are blithely putting themselves in some very striking historical company.

ike Zempter
Athens, Ohio