Pubdate: 11 Aug, 1999 Source: San Antonio Express-News (TX) Copyright: 1999 San Antonio Express-News Contact: http://www.expressnews.com/ Forum: http://data.express-news.net:2080/eshare/server?action4 Author: Gregg L. Davis TRUTH BEHIND PROBLEM NEEDED TO FIGHT DRUGS It's foolish to believe that whether someone might have used drugs in the past makes them a good or bad leader or person (RE: "Media urged to check Bush Rumors". Letters, Aug.5). I say, so what? If George Bush did or didn't do illegal drugs in the past, it doesn't seem to have affected his ability to lead. Will he deny medicine to sick people? Will he tell us that there are less dangerous drugs available to children on the streets because they're only available in a black market? Does he believe that if cocaine, heroin and marijuana were miraculously eradicated from the face of the earth that people wouldn't find substitutes? These are questions that really matter. The most probable scenario is Bush will be forced into the ranks of the "lets get tougher on drugs" mob. But corruption will continue to spread and prisons will continue to grow and suck more money from taxpayers and ensure that hundreds of thousands of drug offenders are unemployable. The drug problem will just get worse. The solution is for people to get off their lazy behinds and investigate the whole story of the drug problem. Everyone knows that drug abuse is harmful. It's well known that drug profits in the hands of criminals increase their power. There's a lot more to learn, such as the success of alternative strategies compared to our longtime strategy's failure. Gregg Davis - --- MAP posted-by: Thunder