SHOULD HE HAVE GONE TO JAIL?

After reading about Texas Gov. George W. Bush's problem with answering
questions about his past, it appeared to me that whether he used
cocaine 25 years ago is irrelevant. Everyone should be entitled to
outlive his past youthful indiscretions, as he has referred to it.

The more pertinent question for Bush is whether he now thinks that he
should have gone to prison back then. Because if he does, I think he
needs to look at himself in the mirror and ponder his sincerity and
honesty.

If he used coke, he, of all people, should recognize two things.
First, if he'd gone to prison he would not be running for president
now. Second, what a waste that would have been for him, the citizens
of Texas and perhaps, in the future, a great many more of us in the
world.

Bush is the ideal example that our current approach to our existing
drug problem in America has the wrong focus. The "war on drugs" should
be refocused to allow for successes like Bush.

A good Republican might say, "Let's reduce the federal government's
role!" If a 10-year moratorium were placed on the enforcement of all
federal criminal drug laws, then the 50 states would have the
opportunity to experiment with new approaches. In 10 years, those
states might be successful in reducing drug abuse. And if not, then
the moratorium comes off.

Bush, this is a Republican idea the nation could get
behind.

Paul Moon,
Marysville