SHAVER RESPONDS

To The Editor:

The Letter to the Editor Jan. 21 by Mr. Seguin was also long on propaganda
as all his many letters are on legalizing drugs. The numbers I used in my
letter were the numbers Clinton's drug war used in his last news briefing
on TV. If you wish to argue his numbers go ahead I am not.

Another thing is whether my numbers are right or you numbers are right
16,000 or 42,000 a year of deaths due to illegal drugs are totally
unacceptable to me. Although they must be acceptable to you because you
advocate legalizing drugs which will in all likelihood increase these
deaths tenfold or more, that is why legalizing drugs is not an option to me.

I see Mr, Seguin's letters to the editor on legalizing drugs and I have to
wonder how anyone in their right mind would want to unleash such misery on
the American people. Since I wrote my last letter to the editor I viewed
two documentaries on illegal drugs on TV. One documentary dealt with women
prostituting their bodies to get money for their drugs. One prostitute was
eight months pregnant and still shooting heroin into her body. She was
also still out on the streets working for the money to buy her drugs. This
woman had five other children, all of which were taken from her, at birth;
because she tested positive for drugs, at the time of their birth. It was
a blessing these children were taken from her, this woman could barely
function on her own. It was obvious her brain cells were fried from all
the illegal drugs she had taken. The documentaries also dealt with
teenagers being hooked on heroin. What a mess their lives are now, that is
if you can call what they're doing living. The documentaries dealt with
the fact the cheap heroin on the streets is causing the epidemic of drug
addiction amongst teenagers today. The documentary also gave the
percentage of heroin addicts that are able to kick the habit. It's about
one percent and many of them are on a maintenance drug.

Marijuana should never be legalized, it's nothing more then a starter drug
for most addicts. It's also the starter drug in the legal arena, first
marijuana then whatever drug the advocates can get legalized next.

What would life be like in America today if drugs were legal? Would you
want to have dealings with any of the following people if they were on
drugs or coming off of drugs? Your airplane pilot, you doctor or surgeon,
bus driver, subway or train engineer. How about the fellow driving down
the road at you' while you're driving your car down the highway.

Mr. Seguin and other drug advocates would lead us to believe that
legalizing drugs is the answer. I believe legalizing drugs is nothing more
then legalizing chaos and death by drugs. I wonder what life would be like
today without the distraction, corruption and destruction of illegal
drugs. I can't help but think life would be much better, and America would
be a lot less violent, and a great place to live.

Keith Shaver Ogdensburg, NY