ASSEMBLY BILL SUPPORTS CALL FOR DRUG LAW REPEAL

The editors at the Times Union hit the nail right on the head when calling
for repeal of the Rockefeller Drug Laws (editorial, May 14). Human Rights
Watch has called these laws cruel and unusual. People's lives are being lost
to a war on drugs. This war often seems to be more a war on poor people and
people of color. Imagine that your son or daughter made the tragic mistake
of selling a small amount of cocaine, such as Elaine Bartlett did. (Elaine
was recently one of three given clemency by Gov. George Pataki.) How would
you feel if he or she were given a 20 years to life sentence?

Assemblyman Marty Luster, along with Assemblymen Jeffrion Aubry and
Alexander Grannis, have recently introduced legislation (A10051) that would
be a good start to reform these insane drug laws. The full text of this bill
can be found at
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/cgi-bin/showtext?billnumA10051.

The Times Union appears to portray Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to be
more likely to move on this than the Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver. In that
case, perhaps we need to really encourage Bruno to really take leadership on
this. While we're at it, why not give Silver a call as well?

Pete Meyers, Community Support Coordinator
Catholic Charities of Tompkins County, Ithaca