PLANTING EVIL

You state in a Nov. 28 editorial that "New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has
received national criticism for his support of drug legalization."

What about mentioning the praise he has received?

You wrote: "The elements of responsibility and accountability must be
realized regarding illegal drug use, which is a primary reason the criminal
nature of such illegal activities must be recognized."

Criminal "nature"! Are you serious? The prohibition of plants and plant
extracts is anti-nature. Prohibitionists are spoiled children ranting at
those who disobey them. Americans have always ignored prohibitionists.

But the prohibitionists have constantly enabled real criminals to thrive.
They thrive on the corruption, the loss of liberty and the tremendous
profits to be gained by exploiting prohibition laws. Prohibitionists thrive
on the overdose deaths (try purchasing your heart medicine from someone in
an alley), which enable them to build an ever-cumbersome bureaucracy to
enforce their ill-conceived laws.

You say enjoying a plant or plant extract is "criminal nature." We evolved
enjoying every and any plant nature gave us. Those who pretend authority to
forbid us this pursuit of happiness and health are the criminals.

Thanks to prohibitionists, America now has the greatest population in
prison in the history of mankind. Their evil knows no end.

RICHARD MARCHESE

Fairfield, N.J.