OFFICER'S LETTER RAISES QUESTIONS

To the Editor,

Thank you for the story (letter): Officer disagress with opinion, published
March 9.

Lieutenant van Deutekom brought up too many questions to ignore.

Quote: "Law enforcement is a last step in combating the drug epidemic."
Doesn't that ignore the fact that the government has made enforcement a
first step in combating the drug problem?

Quote: "This is why we have narcotics laws on the books." Isn't that
contrary to America's extensive record indicating the narcotics laws exist
because of racist lies and fear and was financed by the same groups that
still profit from the prohibition?

Quote: "We have all seen the consequences of addiction." Haven't we also
all seen the consequences of bad laws that prohibit honest drug education
about cannabis? When we lie to teens and withhold the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, are youth being deceived? What happens when they
learn better? What's its potential as a twisted effect of alienating teens?

Quote: "Taxpayers and consumers ultimately foot the bill for illegal
narcotics usage ..." Isn't it more true that while (example) cannabis is
illegal, that the price is so inflated because of bad law? Doesn't cannabis
cost more than gold? Can you count the ways the Government profits by
turning a crop worth about $10 per ounce into one worth $400 per ounce? Is
that what the officer meant by "consumers ultimately foot the bill?"

Quote: "To effectively control illegal drugs, our community must be united
in our approach." But aren't we as a nation increasingly becoming united in
asking ourselves how the control of illegal drugs has gotten so out of control?

Isn't the community to learn from the past, so to achieve tomorrow's goals?

Can we please help end the war not escalate it?

Stan White

Dillon