◆ SpookStack

100 Nos. 77-1698, 77-1210 & 77-1370 ple who occupied this relatively small apartment on the morning in question were in the midst of a private arsen- al consisting of 19 unregistered weapons, including 12 shotguns and rifles, among which were a stolen Chicago Police Department riot gun and 2 sawed-off shotguns, 7 handguns and several hundred rounds of ammunition. The occupants were not without knowledge in the use of the weapons and were members of an organization that advocated use of the weapons when a confrontation with police was involved. This brings me to a final difficulty in placing this case in a proper perspective and that is the role of mar- tyrdom in which many now regard Hampton and Clark. Irrespective of whether that shroud of martyrdom is misconceived, I cannot imagine that prior to December 4, 1969, this posthumously acquired respec- tability would have been accorded by many persons, either black or white, other than those subscribing to ochlocracy even though many persons, both black and white supported the goal of equal recognition and treat- ment for black people. The emotionalism of the plain- tiffs’ sinister conspiracy presentation should not obliterate the fact that there were ample grounds for regarding Hampton and those in the apartment with him as law violators. Perhaps this is not in keeping with the time in which we live, but I cannot believe simply because a minority group, even one composed of people who have been rather consistently repressed and denied equal treat- ment before the law, calls itself a political party and es- pouses a commendable purpose, that there is created some sort of an irrebuttable presumption that it is above the law, or that it can accomplish its goals by violence or other illegal means. In saying the above I am not ignoring the fact that in our system of jurisprudence every law violator is guaranteed the full scale of rights provided for by law, including the constitution, statutes, and case law. I am simply endeavoring to put this case into the perspective in which it clearly was viewed by law enforcement of- ficials in 1969, that there was a group of people who