Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998
Date: 07/16/1998
Source: Dallas Morning News
Author: Jim Helms
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/

Re: "Peaceful protest criticizes drug war," July 2.

The protest in front of the DEA office in Dallas, although small, is a
harbinger of more protests to come. Americans are finally waking up
from the drug war propaganda slumber of the last 30 years.

More than 100,000 Americans are arrested every month for illegal drugs
(50,000 for marijuana alone). As one of the protest signs states,
prisons are being built in Texas at 77 to 1 over colleges.

This madness must end. Julio Machado, special DEA agent, comments,
"You can't get excited over this." The DEA had better get excited.

It is the DEA and the drug dealers who benefit most from the drug war
and they will be the first casualties when it ends.

JIM HELMS,
Seagoville