WAGING THE WRONG WAR

Two events recent in the news have captured my attention. One,
President Clinton has formed a committee to investigate the 98,000
deaths caused by physicians in the nation's hospitals over the last
year. Two, the governor of New Mexico has declared the War on Drugs a
failure.

Now, we Americans like to believe our doctors are competent and our
cops will keep our kids from smoking marijuana. News that neither of
these views is remotely realistic is unsettling and, I've no doubt,
many will automatically retreat into denial. Moreover, on the
foundation of such beliefs as physician competence or the societal
damage of intoxicants is built up communities of people who would not
otherwise be gainfully employed. Homelessness would be greatly
exacerbated if we dumped all our dumb doctors out on the street, for
example. Yet, despite a body count that would make Slobodan Milosevic
drool (98,000!), I, for one, still cherish the notion that
occasionally one might encounter a physician who takes time enough
from counting her money to practice the healing art.

So it seems to me we have all our hounds barking up the wrong tree.
Doctors are killing and maiming more of our citizens than cocaine
smugglers. Why don't we direct our law enforcement resources against a
real, insidious threat? Why shouldn't we turn our War on Drugs into a
War on Pharmaceutical Profiteers and their mercenary minions in the
medical establishment?

After all, the best and most healing pharmaceuticals come directly
from plants easily grown or enjoyably collected from the wild. The
miracle cure the doctor prescribes and for which insurance pays so
much often grows under a Douglas fir not many miles from the hospital
where you were born - and where you will die.