NO LAUGHING MATTER

Apparently columnist Eli Setencich thinks it amusing that law enforcement
is attempting to eradicate marijuana growing in the rural areas of our
counties. I do not. It is a felony to cultivate marijuana in any amount. To
do so in gardens often exceeding 1,000 plants is a significant criminal
enterprise.

Admit it or not, marijuana is a threshold drug that often introduces our
children into more serious drug use. Law enforcement's efforts are not, as
he terms it, "reefer madness," but rather a coordinated crusade to control
outright lawlessness in our mountain areas. The people behind the growing
of marijuana, in addition to cultivating an illegal substance, violate
labor laws designed to protect migrant workers, illegally kill deer that
might feed on their crops, pollute the ground with rat poison to ward off
pests, trespass on private property, steal water and constitute an armed
threat to fishermen, hunters and hikers.

Mr. Setencich's implied support of Proposition 36 is also misguided.
Proposition 36 is a dangerous and misleading initiative. It seriously
undermines California's legitimate drug treatment programs and weakens
anti-drug laws by essentially giving felons a "get out of jail free" card,
as there are no sanctions for failure to remain drug free, regardless of
how many chances for rehabilitation are attempted.

Mr. Setencich is a talented and entertaining columnist. Perhaps, though,
his satire should be limited to less serious matters.

John Anderson, Madera County Sheriff