WHY THE U.S. WON'T BECOME `DRUG-FREE'

Editor -- ``Insanity is doing the same old thing over and over again and
expecting a different result,'' said President Clinton. The current
political posturing over achieving severe drug-use reductions make me sick.

Alcohol prohibition was repealed after 12 years because it perversely made
social conditions worse without stopping the ``wet crowd.'' Organized
crime, violence, more dangerous adulterated substances and the absence of
age restrictions inevitably occur in illicit markets.

Clinton calls for more money, claiming that this time it will really work,
but as President Carter said in regard to marijuana prohibition, the cure
is worse than the disease.

In 1988, Congress passed a resolution to attain a ``drug-free'' society by
1995! General McCaffrey is right to call Gingrich irresponsible; he is
being completely irresponsible by choosing rhetoric over reality and
selective moralism over pragmatism. Wake up, Capitol Hill!

JOSHUA M. SINOWAY

Santa Cruz