TIMING IS EVERYTHING

In your July 10 editorial comparing Gov. Gary Johnson's position on illegal
drugs to Sen. Pete Domenici's, you state that "(O)ne side advocates the
dangerous and illogical stance of drug legalization while the other supports
a proactive stance to a possible solution."

Some people think that drug prohibition is dangerous and illogical, in the
same way that alcohol prohibition 70 years ago was dangerous and illogical:
It criminalized millions of Americans, corrupted police, gave rise to
organized crime, increased underage usage, diminished our freedom, promoted
disrespect for the law, made liquor purity questionable, and last but not
least, did not curtail drinking.

If you still don't understand what's really at stake here, ask yourself
this: What was your paper's editorial position on the Volstead Act and its
subsequent repeal? Did your 1920s counterpart call for an end to Prohibition
and the return of personal responsibility, or did he, like you do now, call
the argument to end prohibition "dangerous and illogical"?

Matthew Katz, New Haven, Conn.