Re "Elian Isn't the Only Child Traumatized," Commentary, May 5: In her
excellent piece on police brutality and the feigned outrage by
Washington's establishment, Arianna Huffington forgot to mention the
Branch Davidians and Randy Weaver, episodes in which children were not
simply traumatized--they were killed. Randy Weaver's son was shot in
cold blood. His wife was also murdered in front of their remaining
children. The Branch Davidian children were burned alive with their
parents. Elian Gonzalez should consider himself lucky.

The root problem is the war on drugs. It has changed the landscape of
our criminal justice system. It's time to start rethinking what we
have become under the aegis of that misbegotten war. It hasn't worked
in 20 years. Why are we so married to this failed policy?

JOAN E. MEIJER,
Los Angeles