Pubdate: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Kamloops This Week Contact: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271 Author: Alan Randell DRUG LAWS OUTDATED Editor: I am writing regarding your Dec. 28 story, headlined Police find pot. Our drug laws make no sense whatsoever. If drugs are banned because they are harmful, why don't we ban alcohol and tobacco? If drugs are banned because they may induce the user to harm others, why don't we ban alcohol? No, there is no more reason to punish drug users and dealers today than there was in the past to hang witches, lynch blacks or gas Jews. Drug prohibition is nothing less than a state-sanctioned, Hitler-like program designed to divert our attention from more important issues by ruining the lives of the innocent few who happen to enjoy certain drugs. The sooner newspapers, such as yours, begin to recognize this fact, the sooner this appalling program can be ended. I suppose in simply reporting what the police are doing to us, without allowing any discussion on whether the laws they are enforcing are just or effective, you are merely following a long line of morally challenged headline writers from the past. Alan Randell Victoria - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart