STOP LEGALIZING MOVEMENT

It is alarming to read Elizabeth Hovde's May 30 column, "Legalize pot
without legitimizing it."

Although ex-New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson managed to convince Hovde with his
pro-legalization rhetoric and contrived statistics, he failed to persuade
the New Mexico state Legislature to follow his lead.

Johnson's rhetoric includes the claim made by legalizing proponents that
our prisons are overflowing with people incarcerated for "simple" marijuana
offenses.

The figure they like to use includes possession of marijuana even when it
was only one of many more serious charges against an individual. The actual
number of those incarcerated for simple possession after plea-bargaining
down from trafficking is less than 2 percent.

Our jails are so full of individuals there for violent crimes, many
committed under the influence of marijuana, that even non-violent arch
criminal types are now being foisted back on society.

Fernando A. Wagner and James Anthony's recent scientific survey, "From
first drug use to drug dependence," shows that first use of marijuana
typically occurs under the age of 17.

So Hovde agrees with Johnson that we should legalize it for adults but not
for children. Children are where the market is now.

The millions of parents whose children have been lost to or damaged by drug
use need to step forward and help stop this dangerous movement to legalize
drugs.

Sandra S. Bennett

La Center