I read in The Examiner that Tom Campbell advocates the death penalty
for anyone caught selling drugs to a child under 12 ("Rep. Campbell
unveils radical drug proposal," Sept. 19). The article by Eric Brazil
quotes Campbell as saying, "I propose the death penalty for an adult
who intentionally sells heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine to a child
under 12." In some extreme cases, I do support the death penalty. But
this proposal of Campbell's is such a monstrous concept that, quite
frankly, it shows a certain amount of callousness toward human life.

Most of us realize the drug war has failed. The prisons are packed
with people who will be imprisoned for many years for minor
non-violent crimes.

We tried to get tough by imposing mandatory prison time for offenses
involving small amounts of illegal drugs, and this policy is ruining
us financially.

The greater tragedy is that whole generations of certain minority
groups are locked away to rot, due to the draconian policies that have
failed to win the war against drugs.

For what I have seen over the years, the war has been waged most
strongly against the poor, the disenfranchised and people of color.

I also point out to Campbell that many leaders throughout history have
argued that it is appropriate to kill people. Hitler, Stalin and Pol
Pot come to mind as individuals who advocated cleansing society of
those they said should not be tolerated.

Today, repressive and backward countries like China, Afghanistan and
Iran agree.

Fortunately, most of the rest of the world does not find this killing
attitude tolerable. I do not want to live in a country that can be
easily identified with or put in the same category as China,
Afghanistan or Iran when it comes to public policy.

We live in a civil society, not in one where, if you break the law,
you will likely forfeit your life -- or a hand or foot.

I hope the statement Campbell made is just rhetoric.

Though sometimes I disagree with certain positions he takes, I never
imagined he'd be advocating a genocidal drug policy.

C.M. Evans,
Mountain View