FREE TO GET STONED

As the presidential race begins to heat up, the drug issue has once
again wandered to the forefront of American politics, putting Gov.
George W. Bush directly in the spotlight. Drug legalization advocates
have attempted to request pardons from Gov. George Bush for nonviolent
drug offences, citing the hypocrisy of his programs due to his own
experiences with illegal substances. However, Bush has not yet gone on
the record about his "youthful indiscretions," indicating that he is
already one step ahead of Clinton's memorable "what is this joint
doing in my mouth?" approach.

So will Bush eventually pardon drug offenders? The answer is no. Should
Bush even consider legalization? The answer is no. But for those looking
for a way out, he has left us with an obvious tip: Whatever you do... just
don't get caught.

Our generation is familiar with anti-drug propaganda. Many of us were
forced to conform and wear stylish D.A.R.E. T-shirts. Some had
pamphlets shoved in their faces, and there are those who remain
haunted by television images that included fried eggs (accompanied by
everything else besides the rest of the breakfast), divers jumping
into empty pools, and actresses rearranging their kitchens. Kids know
that drugs are theoretically bad, but all the information in the world
has not prevented them from trying them. It's no big mystery -- our
children use drugs because their parents do.

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 46
percent of parents expect their kids to try illegal drugs. Teens who
know of their parent's experimentation with drugs are at an even
higher risk. It's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even now, drugs
are showing up everywhere, from the picket fences of the suburbs to
the raves of the urban nightlife. But most importantly, at least 49
percent of all baby boomers have tried marijuana or other illegal
substances in their youth. Although this does not necessarily indicate
that all our leaders chose pot brownies over Oreos to complement their
daily glass of milk, they have committed their fair share of
criminal activity.

If our leaders have done worse, why should those who have merely
experimented spend more time being incarcerated while others end up
running our country? The question demands some equity from our
government. However, pardons and legalization would set a precedent
with consequences that no politician would be willing to take.

Harmful drug use would certainly rise. Dr. Herbert Kleber, a
psychiatrist from Yale University, argues that clinical data support
the premise that drug use would increase with legalization. "... if
cocaine were legally available, the number of cocaine abusers would
probably rise ... the number of compulsive users might be nine times
higher ... than the current number."

Things would only get worse. Crimes perpetuated by turf wars between
rival gangs interested in protecting their businesses constitute a
relatively small percentage of total drug related crime. A Bureau of
Justice Statistics report states that among inmates serving for
assault or burglary, roughly 4 out of 10 crimes were committed under
the influence. All of these numbers cannot even begin to compare to
the increases in poverty, welfare, social spending, domestic violence,
and automobile and on the job accidents that legalization would entail.

When it comes to the drug issue, no one is truly at fault. Why? If
used correctly, drugs can be a highly recreational experience, without
many of the social and medical consequences that accompany its use. In
other words, drugs are fun. Our society has confused the term drug use
with abuse. Unfortunately, the law prohibiting its use is necessary
because for some, there is no difference.

Those who are in a search for a just solution will remain
disappointed. We as a nation cannot afford to loosen our stance on
drugs. But if our men and women in power have taught us a lesson, it's
been a very simple lesson indeed. You are free to do whatever you
want. Just don't get caught.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee is a finance junior.