AG HAS GOOD PRIORITIES... EXCEPT ONE

The nation's new attorney general, John Ashcroft, set out a broad agenda
for his office in a recent interview. His top three priorities are
increased prosecution of gun law violators, a reinvigoration of the war on
drugs and stamping out racial discrimination. With one exception, these are
good goals.

Racial discrimination has been a plague on our nation throughout its
existence. Although the Declaration of Independence clearly states we are
all created equal, different races have often in practice faced
mistreatment and discrimination.

We think most would agree it is a worthy goal to correct this great wrong
to the full extent that the law and our Constitution allow.

Similarly, we think most would agree that the nation's laws designed to
prevent improper or illegal use of guns should be enforced to the full
extent allowed.

Unfortunately, too often in the past the goal seems to have been to keep
adding new gun laws that threaten the legitimate rights of lawful gun
owners rather than enforcing the present ones. It should never be forgotten
that gun ownership is Constitutionally protected in America. It is not the
ownership of guns that is the problem, but the unlawful use of them. The
goal should be to go after those who misuse weapons, not those who lawfully
own them.

Ashcroft appears to understand this distinction and deserves full support
in his efforts to crack down on gun criminals.

One of Ashcroft's goals, however, is misguided and doomed to failure. That
is his plan to reinvigorate the war on drugs.

The war on drugs is a lost cause. No matter how hard we crack down on drug
use, the problem will not go away because addicts and their suppliers won't
obey laws against drugs.

The answer is not tougher laws or enforcement, but rather to deal with drug
addiction as a social issue, much like we do with alcoholism. Treat the
cause, which is addiction, rather than the symptom, which is drug dealing.

Just like Prohibition failed with regard to alcohol, drug prohibition laws
are doomed to fail. All they do is serve to create a terrible wave of crime
and merciless criminals who compete to feed the illegal market.

It is time for a totally new approach to drug use in America - in fact, we
already know how to deal with the problem. Deal with drugs the same way we
deal with alcohol.

What is not needed is a return to the war on drugs which was lost long ago.