Jan. 28 was the last day that the American public could provide its opinion on the Microsoft case to the District Justice. Though I do not believe that justice should be swayed by the majority's opinion for majority's sake, I sent my opinion on the case that cost taxpayers more than $35 million.

The American government has taken Microsoft to task for being a productive, innovative, and successful company. The purpose of the government is to defend its people's individual rights; these rights are impinged upon when force is used to undermine another's ability to think, live or produce through free choice.

Controls on legitimate spending, contracts and productivity undermine civilized human behavior and only cause more controls.

Microsoft has settled rather than fight the court system with its energy, money, and time. But these laws should never have existed in America. There should be a complete separation between economy and state; only cases of national security, fraud and broken contract should be business matters of the court domain.

To punish Microsoft for being so successful is to undermine the American ideal.