FOCUS ON FAITH-SPEAKERS ADVOCATE DRUG POLICY REFORM

Tikkun Olam is a Jewish phrase that means repairing the world.

"It is incumbent upon all Jews to do good deeds - mitzvahs - to repair the
tears in the fabric of the world," said Jane Marcus.

Then she found out that Methodists have a similar sense of activism.

In that spirit, Marcus and Steve Beitler, both members of Congregation Beth
Am, will present a forum called "Taking Fewer Prisoners: Toward a More
Humane Drug Policy," tomorrow at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew's United Methodist
Church, Palo Alto.

Advocating reform of drug policy, emphasized Marcus, in no way means being
in favor of drug use.

Marcus and Beitler took a course on drug policy from Joseph McNamara, former
police chief of San Jose and a Hoover Fellow, in which they learned that the
current approach of treating drug use as a crime is a 20th century
phenomenon. Prior to that, drug use was seen as a medical problem and
addicts were pitied.

Then came Prohibition, which had strong racist overtones toward recent
immigrants. The Congressional Record urged keeping white women away from
the heathens, who were high on drugs. Racist overtones are still evident
today, in incarceration rates, said Marcus.

"So we live in this bubble, this window, during which we know no other
paradigm for dealing with drugs, other than saying it's a criminal act,"
said Marcus.

Drug forum takes place April 30 at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew's, 4111 Alma St.,
Palo Alto (650) 493-0900.

(snip)

Focus on Faith appears every Saturday in the Daily News.

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