ILLEGAL DRUGS CAN BE USED AS MEDICINE

Editor:

Gov. George Bush Jr. of Texas admits that as a young man he too was a
druggie. So ok, he used drugs, which is not a crime, and is not impeachable
by any means, or Bill Clinton (said by his former friends to be a coke nose,
big time,) would have been out of the White House and Monica Lewinski would
not be a household name today. George Bush Jr's. crime is quadrupling the
number of Black and Latino juveniles incarcerated in Texas to please the
noisy anti-drug minority in the lower Bible Belt. His crime is only one of
hypocrisy. He is quite right in telling the press to go blow (some grass,)
since drug use then or now would not make any difference to his presidency.
If we elect an idiot we get a fool for president; it has nothing to do with
drugs.

Indeed, you may ask Republican Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, a former
druggie, now running for the US senate, if it makes any difference. Or, you
could ask Republican Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico, another ex-druggie
that wants Congress to heed the 84% of the American people who want to
legalize marihuana and end the costly and unwinnable drug war. You might
ask the hundreds of other lesser politicians who now are or were themselves
former users but are so fearful of the vocal anti-drug minority they dare
not represent faithfully the wishes of their constituents.

You might want to ask Carl Sagan, the great author, astronomer and college
professor, had he not died, what he thought of the drug use. It recently
become public knowledge that he used marijuana almost daily and gave the
"weed" credit for some of his best work.

If you ask knowledgeable people you will find out that addiction is part of
human life, (like flat feet and B.O..) There is nothing "wrong" with drug
use. You will find that every American citizen has the Constitutional right
to use drugs in his own best interest as he or she sees fit. You will also
find out that marijuana, heroin and cocaine have been recognized for
centuries as life giving medicines. Heroin, for instance, is the only
treatment for heroin addiction that has a proven track record of success,
the kick from cocaine is not as harmful as cigarette cancer, and marijuana,
which has never killed anyone as alcohol does, has as many medical uses as
aspirin.

Did the Governor of Texas do it? Of course he did it. Does it matter? Of
course not. Does George Bush Jr. have a right to be honest and tell the
press to mind their own business? You bet he does.

Jos. E. Hopwood Quantico