DRUG WAR COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

Gregory Kane's Aug. 5 column, "LYING SNITCHES ARE ON THE FRONT LINES
OF 'WAR ON DRUGS,'" had an agenda to end the counterproductive policy
of drug prohibition that is destroying our right to call the United
States a free country.

The agenda would end the counterproductive policy that has turned the
former "Land of Liberty" into the world's No. 1 jailer.

With less than 5 percent of the world's population, the United States
now is the not-so-proud home of more than 25 percent of the world's
prisoners. Thanks to our counterproductive war on some drugs.

During the prohibition of alcohol the crime rate rose sharply, then
declined substantially after prohibition was repealed. Did we learn
any lessons? It doesn't look like it.

For those that think that we should just stay the course or increase
our drug war efforts, I suggest they read a recently published book by
Judge James P. Gray,
"WHY OUR DRUG LAWS HAVE FAILED AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT."

Kirk Muse
Vancouver, Wash.