I am relieved like everyone else that the ordeal for the three Duke LAX players is over, although the State of North Carolina stole a year of their lives -- and more. Now, I was heartened by the comments made by North Carolina AG Roy Cooper, and it was good to hear him use words like "rogue" to describe Michael B. Nifong, the state agent who made this evil episode possible.

I do wish to thank Lew publicly for giving me a forum. He took a lot of criticism from people who could not understand why he was permitting me to write what I did. Thanks also to those of you who encouraged me during this past year.

All of this tells me again of the horrible power of the state to kidnap and kill. It is a power that has been handed out too easily with few checks placed upon it. What has happened is only a microcosm of the larger issue of abuse of state power. We see it in full flower in Iraq.