Pubdate: Tue, 07 May 2002
Source: Ladysmith-Chemanius Chronicle (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 BC Newspaper Group & New Media
Contact:  http://www.ladysmithchronicle.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1279
Author: Alan Randell

LESS ONE-SIDED ON POT COVERAGE PLEASE

Editor:

Re: "Boaters to help in war on drugs", April 23.

Don't you think it's time you recognized the simple fact that drug 
prohibition is nothing less than a brutal Hitler-like program designed by 
government to distract our attention from more important issues (and to 
provide bigger budgets and free drugs for our police officers) by ruining 
the lives of the innocent few who ingest or sell certain drugs?

Don't you think it's time you saw through the propaganda put out by 
government that drugs are prohibited to protect users? Users suffer more 
(adulterated drugs and jail time) when a drug is banned as compared to when 
it is legally available, and besides, two of our more harmful drugs, 
alcohol and tobacco, are legal. My wife and I became well acquainted with 
this aspect of government policy when we lost our 19-year-old son to street 
heroin in 1993.

Are we better than the Nazis because our drug laws threaten an innocent 
minority with jail rather then with execution? Are we better than Hitler 
because we persecute an innocent minority because of the drugs they use 
rather than because of the religion they follow? I think not.

If Parliament passed a law requiring the incarceration of all Jews, would 
you publish an item asking readers to be on the lookout for Jews?

Alan Randell Victoria
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom