COMMON SENSE ABOUT DRUGS

To the editor:

Hooray! Another governor (Gary Johnson of New Mexico) speaks out for
good sense in the war on drugs (Opinion, Oct. 14) -- and he's a
conservative Republican, too.

This is one more sign that the world outside the Washington Beltway
has its head on a little straighter than the Capitol Hill and White
House crowd. Joe McNamara, former San Jose police chief, is no longer
a lone voice in the wilderness to apply common sense, rather than
knee-jerk imprisonment, to deal with drug addicts.

Now that California Gov. Gray Davis has had a year to get established,
let's hope that he can weigh in on the side of legalizing (or at least
decriminalizing) drugs so the billions we now waste on Colombia and
Mexico -- and our own prisons and criminal justice system -- can be
used to extend a helping hand to drug users and their families.

KARL PEARSON
Los Gatos