DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENSION

* Re "Davis Fights to Suspend Licenses in Drug Cases," May 24: I think it's
disgusting that California Gov. Gray Davis is seeking to revive William
Bennett's "smoke a joint, lose your license" law. The law was created at a
time when the former drug czar felt a need to "create consequences" for
marijuana smokers. Consequences like denying them the opportunity to
function as productive, taxpaying members of society. Enough Americans have
smoked marijuana to know that the government has been lying about its
alleged adverse effects for years. Make no mistake, this is not about
protecting the health of Americans. We don't incarcerate tobacco smokers,
skydivers, alcoholics or people with poor diets. Marijuana prohibition has
always been political.

Davis is making the same mistake as Vice President Al Gore in perpetuating
reefer madness. By pandering to the conservative right, Democrats are
alienating their core liberal constituency. This bleeding-heart liberal
will not be voting Democrat come November.

Robert Sharpe, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington

It's just and fitting that anyone who commits a crime while driving should
be punished with the revocation or suspension of his or her driver's
license. How do we justify using a driver's license revocation as part of
the punishment for an unrelated crime? If the idea is that the need for a
driver's license is so important people will not commit crimes for fear of
losing their license, then it follows that this penalty should be part of
the sentence for any and all crimes.

It seems that this is yet another example of passing any law, no matter how
unfair, in an attempt to cure the drug problem. Yet our drug problem
continues. Perhaps in the near future there will be a medical cure for
addiction. Currently we can most effectively reduce the drug problems
through education and treatment.

I hope the California Legislature and Gov. Davis will see that this law
does more harm than good and will let the federal government know that we
cannot be bribed or threatened into enacting bad laws.

Jean Fleming, Studio City