End the War on Freedom

De Palma's film, like most Hollywood "true stories" plays fast and loose with the truth of Ness' efforts to bring Al Capone and his mob to justice. No matter. It was Costner's Ness -- pure good -- versus Robert de Niro's Capone -- pure evil. With great supporting actors like Sean Connery and a slam-bang script, it was a hit -- especially with ATF agents. There was only one problem: the Untouchables in the movie were not law enforcement officers, they were avenging angels unrestrained by law.

Toward the end of the movie, after Costner's Ness has shot fleeing felons, thrown a suspect in custody off a roof to his death and blackmailed a judge, he confesses: "I have foresworn myself. I have broken every law I have sworn to uphold, I have become what I beheld and I am content that I have done right!"

The ATF agents who watched it ate that sentiment up. And after it came out in VHS they would watch it again and again, internalizing the lesson that the ends justify the means. Over and over they would watch it. When a new guy came into the field office, they would ask, "Have you seen The Untouchables? No? Well, I'll loan you my copy. It's great." Over and over they would cheer as Costner and Connery used the "Chicago Way" on Capone's cartoonish bad guys. And gradually, in the minds of the field agents of the ATF, life began to imitate art.

...

So here we are today, fifteen years later, still facing the "Untouchables" -- the "monster without a master." What will prevent them from carrying out another Waco atrocity? Not the law. Not the Supreme Court. Not an anti-gun president of either party. Not a Democrat controlled federal legislature. The Untouchables are a law unto themselves. But here is where they will be brought up short.

One day, and that day may not be too far off, they are going to do something that it retrospect will be seen as both unbelievably stupid and perfectly predictable. One day, the Untouchables in their lawless arrogance are going to pick on the wrong guy -- a guy with nothing to lose, a guy who has been paying attention to things like the Olofson case and has decided upon that evidence that he can no longer count on a fair trial in this country. They are going to tangle with a guy who sees them coming and knows what to do. And on THAT day, the "Untouchables" are going to discover to their terminal surprise that they are indeed, "touchable." And to people who have been paying attention to the ATF's long and sordid career, it will come as no surprise whatsoever.