POLICE NOT TO BLAME

The editorial page is wrong to blame the Omaha Police Department for the
problems of underage drinking ("Wrong Signal on Teen Drinking," Sept. 15).
Law enforcement officials are expected to enforce drug laws that make no
sense.

Why can you smoke tobacco at 18 but are not allowed to drink alcohol? Why
is marijuana illegal when alcohol is more dangerous? Police must contend
with the fact that a large portion of the public thinks the drinking age is
too high and are actively engaged in evading the law.

State lawmakers in both Iowa and Nebraska gave up the rights of the people
to make their own laws when the federal government threatened to take away
highway funds if the drinking age was not raised to 21. Get the federal
government out of making drug policies and end the federally funded Project
Extra Mile.

Andrew Sullivan
Omaha