RAPS EDITOR

Dear Editor;

This letter is in response to Mr. Robert Merkin’s 04/23/00 letter to
the editor ”Prisons”. Although I don’t know Mr. Merkin I feel his
letter accurately and eloquently addresses the drug war and prison
issue. Apparently Mr. Merkin read the Journal’s 04/03/00 editorial
“Racism and Prison”, and came to the conclusion that the editor
dislikes opinions that are different from his. Quite frankly I think
Mr. Merkin’s points are very will taken. Over the years I have
observed the editor using his column to bash anybody who thinks or
acts in a manner that is not to his liking. There is very little
tolerance for differences of opinion.

We at ReconsiDer have also come under fire for questioning the
Rockefeller drug laws and the building of so many prisons. A recent
Newsday article “The Town that Loved Prisons pays a very stiff Price”,
addresses the short comings of the economical windfalls Malone was
supposed to experience. The article brings to mind the failure of
several local businesses since we received two prisons, K-Mart,
Super-Duper, Jubilee, Ames, Great American, Eckerts, Shade Roller,
and Mater Dei. As I recall the editor predicted great economical
spin offs with the addition of the prisons. I guess I just can’t see
it. What disturbs me is that Ogdensburg will be known as a prison
town and once we have that stigma we will never be a resort town, a
college town, or a fortune 500 town. Who would want to come here and
vacation next to a maximum facility.

Finally, Mr. Merkin’s statement that “The Journal-Advance News should
contribute to the debate, not silence it” rings very true. As a
matter of fact on 03/30/00 Clarkson University hosted a debate on
current drug policies. It was productive and informative with all
parties expressing their views very well. With a debate of such
social importance one would think the editor from the Ogdensburg
Journal would have attended since he is so opinionated on the issues.
Sometimes it takes an outsider to see what is happening on the inside.
I think Mr. Merkin’s was that outsider.

Lee Monnet,
Ogdensburg, NY