BAD EXAMPLE

Peter Maresch (Letters, June 19) said: "There is no logical argument
against tightening law enforcement on drugs." Mr Maresch hasn't been paying
attention. The "logical argument" against harsher laws is that they simply
don't work. In mainland China, drug dealers are punished with a bullet in
the back of the neck. But drug addiction in China is increasing at a
tremendous rate, in spite of this brutality.

I write in the hope that Australians will not go stupidly down the road my
country took. America has a greater percentage of our citizens in prison
than any other developed nation, along with high rates of drug abuse and
violence. We suffer from ever-increasing official corruption, and steadily
diminishing personal liberty. Harsh laws have been a disaster for us.
Please, learn from our unfortunate example.

Ray Aldridge, Walton Beach, Fl (US).