Paul Rako's article ("McCaffrey's Brain on Drugs," June) was not kind.
If McCaffrey understood the havoc his positions cause, he could not
continue as the drug czar in good conscience. I'm sure that, in his
own way, Hitler was also a nice man who wanted to do good. But
suggesting that Mr. McCaffrey is an evil self-serving jerk and
psychopathic pig does nothing to move the discussion forward.

Let's just call him "misguided" and deal with the issues.

McCaffrey cannot accept that heroin addicts in England lead peaceful,
productive lives when enrolled in medically monitored programs.

He would be fired if he suggested that medical doctors administer
heroin to addicts in this country.

As long as the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as
a Schedule 1 drug, he can not publicly acknowledge that persons
responsibly use marijuana recreationally.

One of his medical consultants probably told him about the rat allowed
to self-administer pleasure.

An electrode was implanted in the "pleasure center" of the rat's
brain.

Once the rat learned that pressing a lever delivered a brief stimulus,
the rat pressed the lever hundred of times per hour. Ignoring food,
water and sex, the rat finally collapsed of exhaustion. McCaffrey may
believe that a similar fate will befall our youth if unrestricted
access to pleasure enhancing drugs is available.

When the social cost of personal tragedy is considered prohibitive,
drug warriors act to constrain liberty.

Matthew Hine,
Bartlett, Tenn.