POTENTIAL CONFLICT AVOIDED BY THE TCASII RA.

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AT ABOUT XA00 HRS WE WERE DSNDING TO 14000 FT FROM THE E ON APCH TO SNA. TFC AHEAD WAS BELOW US AND WE WERE ASKED TO CALL HIM IN SIGHT. WHEN WE DID; WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 8000 FT. AFTER WE PASSED THROUGH 14000 FT THE TCASII TOLD US TO DSND AND ALTHOUGH THE COLLISION COURSE WAS NOT SO APPARENT DUE TO THE OTHER ACFT'S SMALL SIZE AND OUR PITCH DOWN ATTITUDE; THE TCASII POS AND ALT HELPED US DETERMINE TO HASTEN OUR DSCNT WITH SPD BRAKES. THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH SO WE PUSHED THE NOSE FARTHER DOWN TO AVOID THE SMALL ACFT. THIS; IN MY OPINION; WAS VERY EVASIVE AND TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR ATC TO HAVE ALLOWED; GIVEN WE WERE BOTH BEING CTLED. AFTER ALL; ARE WE NOT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND DON'T OUR PAX EXPECT SAFE SEPARATION. WHEN ATC GIVES US A DSCNT CLRNC AND THEN TELLS US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; DO THEY THEN HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR SAFETY. THIS WAS TOO CLOSE AND IT SEEMS THE TERM MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION IS USED TOO OFTEN AND UNSAFELY. THE CAPT BELIEVED A RPT WAS UNNECESSARY; BUT I'M GOING TO BE AROUND A LOT LONGER THAN HIM AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS TREND OF UNSAFE PROCS TO CONTINUE TO THE POINT OF ACCIDENT OCCURRENCE; ESPECIALLY WITH ME ON BOARD.