Pubdate: Wed, 07 Apr 2004
Source: La Crosse Tribune (WI)
Copyright: 2004, The La Crosse Tribune
Contact:  http://www.lacrossetribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/229
Author:  Richard Koenig

INJUSTICES IN THE WAR ON DRUGS

The law is a crude machine at best, spitting out something remotely close 
to justice if its tenets are committed to it. Conspiracy laws are so vague 
defendants can't get a fair trial. Prosecutors have taken full control over 
the justice system. We need committees to review these injustices and 
create new legislation to correct them.

I don't think anybody besides the prosecutors and judges are aware of the 
several injustices going on in the war on drugs campaign. For their only 
interest are convictions, and judges being rejected. The judges' inner 
sense of justice is compromised by having to follow precedent, even though 
conditions have changed.

It is the mistakes, false promises and ineptitude of the leaders of the war 
on drugs that keeps us on a path to more useless death and destruction. 
They, like the generals and politicians of Vietnam, don't gamble with their 
own lives, they risk those of others. Their primary concerns along with 
judges and prosecutors are public image, their individual careers, and the 
funding of their election campaign's and bureaucracy.

RICHARD KOENIG,  La Crosse
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