In contrast, it took the U.S. government more than seven months to identify Rennison Castillo as a naturalized American citizen and Army veteran (TNT, 2-25). An immigration judge, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t believe him and “were disrespectful.”

U.S. Attorney Philip Lynch apologized for the bad treatment of a citizen and veteran. But didn’t Castillo deserve humane treatment simply because he is a human being?

Never was there a clearer reminder of how much power the government holds and how powerless 1 person is once held by this mean-spirited, demeaning “system.”

One should be comforted that unlike the animal shelter where Bear was “detained,” the government does not yet have the power to euthanize its captives.