Dear Ann:

Thank you for your recent words about the inhumanity of our country's
approach to drug use. You are right, 30 years in prison for a minor
possession makes no sense, not for the individual who can become a hardened
criminal while in prison, not for his family and not for society, which must
spend huge amounts of money to punish someone for what is essentially
harmless behavior.

I am a graduate student in the department of history at the University of
Massachusetts. I have been researching the war on drugs for a number of
years, and the whole thing strikes me as being tragically mishandled. It
makes me sad to see so many people's lives destroyed for the sake of the
careers of some opportunistic politicians.

Our country must not throw away many of the freedoms we once considered
precious. We must be careful not to go too far and risk turning ourselves
into a police state.

J.G., Amherst, Mass.