DRUG WAR

To The Editor:

Drug War Not A Failure? (Comments-Sunday 3 Dec. 2000).

I Agree with Mr. Kelly, "the laws must be reviewed"! While people from St.
Lawrence Co. receive 'up to life' sentences for several thousands dollars
of drugs. Laurie Hiett, wife of James Hiett ( James Hiett was the commander
of the military's anti drug operation in Colombia and is a personal friend
of General Barry McCaffrey, head of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy). Mrs. Hiett, only got 5 years for $700,000 worth of drugs. ( 05 May
2000).

The " Tidy income" Mr. Kelly speaks of is not necessarily from selling
drugs. The prison industry has become a Wall Street darling. The growth of
the industry has been astounding. According to Justice Department figures,
state and federal prison capacity increased by 41 percent in the five years
through 1995, with 213 new prisons being built.

The drug-testing industry is now big business. The weapons industry is
making significant profit as more and more arms, planes and helicopters are
supplied to nations far and wide for their drug war cooperation. In the
case of medical uses of marijuana, pharmaceutical houses stand to lose
significant revenue. Drug laws are about political power at every level -
from local mayoral and chief-of-police campaigns and posturing to national
party political jockeying. Prohibition is one the principal tools.

Drug prohibition is certainly a mechanism of social control and is a
fanatic pursuit to cleanse America of its "un-American" elements. The
forfeiture of bank accounts, real estate and vehicles has become a national
scandal in the U.S. enforcement agencies, from the local police on up to
the DEA and the Justice Department itself. They now depend on such revenues.

Larry Seguin,
Lisbon, New York