As children of the'60s, many of us watched Efrem Zimbalist Jr. playing an FBI special agent each Sunday night and we knew precisely who were the good guys and the bad guys.

Then, we grew up.

As the decades passed, the image of an invincible, incorruptible Federal Bureau of Investigation has faded into something far less.

At first, there were veiled allegations. Possible collusion in the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Then wild speculations started flying. Did J. Edgar Hoover actually wear a dress?

By the time we reached the ‘90s, many of us were ready to believe the worst about the once-fabled "agency."

Whistleblower Frederick Whitehurst gave us an inside look into the shoddy research regularly practiced inside the FBI labs.

And in 1992, our admiration for the agency was shattered by a sniper’s bullet. FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi had decided not to question the orders when superiors changed the rules of engagement at the Ruby Ridge stand-off. Law authorities had already killed Randy and Vicki Weaver’s 14-year-old son. He was shot in the back while trying to make it back to the cabin from a hunting expedition.

Horiuchi had been ordered to shoot on sight anyone at the cabin. When the door opened, the FBI killer caught the head of Vicki Weaver in his crosshairs. He squeezed the trigger. Half of the woman’s skull was blown away instantly and she slumped to the floor, still holding her baby in her arms.

Eventually, the government admitted its culpability by offering Randy Weaver and his family an out-of-court settlement worth more than 3.1 million dollars. In a private ceremony, the FBI later presented Horiuchi with an award for his conduct. And at Waco, it has been alleged Horiuchi was once again on hand, firing shots at anyone who dared to escape from the rear of the blazing buildings at the Branch Davidian compound.

Several years later, the state of Idaho decided it could not let Horiuchi’s murderous act at Ruby Ridge go unchallenged. State murder charges were filed but quickly the case was transferred to Federal jurisdiction and all charges were dropped.

In a last-ditch bid for justice, Idaho has appealed the decision and a three-judge federal appeals court is hearing arguments that would allow the state to resume its murder case against Horiuchi.

Perhaps most outrageous of all is the argument presented to the appellate court by Federal Solicitor General Seth Waxman, who told the court that as "a fundamental function of our government" law enforcement agents are "privileged to do what would otherwise be unlawful if done by a private citizen."

We would expect to hear such an argument from a court in Nazi Germany or Stalin’s Russia but not in 21^st Century America.

As former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark argued on behalf of the state of Idaho, the current ruling allows government agents to "kill with immunity."

Now, it’s our basic constitutional rights like due process and being considered innocent until proven guilty that are in the crosshairs.

Whatever happened to our most basic guarantee? That of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?"

We can only hope and pray that the spirit of Vicki Weaver will finally be avenged.

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