WAR ON DRUGS UNDER FIRE (1 0f 2)

As the first elected official I've heard speak out against the "war on
drugs," the Republican governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, is brave, wise
and deserving of praise. Maybe he's just wise, but probably he is also
strong since he told the truth while so many others just go along with it.

The "drug czar," Gen. Barry McCaffrey, said just the other day in front of a
Senate committee that the worst problem this country has is the teen-agers
smoking marijuana. Now, who believes that?

And if he can say that without any evidence, what teen-agers will believe
anything else he has to say?

I am afraid many of our elected officials are simply bought off by the ones
who make money from the abuse of drugs. But Gov. Johnson apparently hasn't been.

Gary Petz, Houston