WHY INCREASE FINES FOR MARIJUANA SMOKERS?

I am an 18-year-old Army reservist. I try to stick up for the government
whenever I can, but there is one issue on which I disagree. In the Feb. 11
Journal Sentinel, there was an article titled "Judge seeks $5,000 slap on
pot smokers." My only question is: Why?

Judge Richard J. Steinberg said he wanted to create a "drug-free"
community. That would never happen. No matter what, there is always someone
who does not care about municipal tickets or even his or her own life.
Also, if you tell someone not to do something, that will make him or her
want to do it even more.

The article said that Steinberg wants to prevent potential "drugged
driving" dangers. People die every day from alcohol- and tobacco-related
problems. How many people have become addicted to or died from smoking
marijuana? I have not done any research on it, but I am willing to bet the
answer is none.

There very possibly may be more good uses for street drugs, but the
government is so closed-minded on the subject that we will probably never
know. Instead of slapping a $5,000 fine on marijuana possession, maybe we
should try to fix some of the more serious problems in this world we have
to live in.

Amy Brafford
Pewaukee