SNITCHERS ON DRUG BUSTS

Regarding the Nov. 21 article, "Professor leads the charge in battle
against drug war": The war on drugs is in reality already over. Not
unlike the Vietnam War, the remnants of the drug war are being carried
on by hypocritical politicians and government bureaucrats most
interested in perpetuating their political fiefdoms.

Unfortunately, the primary interest of police and prosecutors seem to
be justifying ever-increasing budgets rather than truly addressing the
problems related to substance abuse.

The only thing being accomplished by the current version of the war on
drugs is a continuous erosion of the Bill of Rights. An example of the
erosion of our constitutional rights is the broad use of anonymous
informants. Faceless informants are often paid large sums of money by
police, subsidized by taxpayers. In effect, the drug war has reduced
our justice system to a tournament of snitches.

John Wells