SLOW DRUG FLOW

I do not believe Bill Summers, director of the Rio Grande Valley
Partnership [Page 1A, Jan.5], would be nearly as quick to criticize the
delay at the border if a member of his family had his or her life destroyed
as a result of drug addiction or overdose.

There is no amount of money lost or "business" that is worth one single
young life or the shattering effect of addiction to a whole family. I
speak from experience of dealing with the aftermath of witnessing the hurt
to an entire family.

Somehow I cannot for the life of me have any sympathy for those
inconvenienced by delays at the border if it saves our youth.

I also do not have any sympathy for the older addicts who continue to
indulge themselves when there is plenty of help out there to get them past
their craving and if the addict truly wants to get clean and has not
reached the point that love for getting high has not surpassed the love for
children, parents and all who love them.

But the young people -- that is another story. I say be as strict as is
necessary and if it takes a temporary suspension of NAFTA until the heavy
flow of drugs ceases, so be it.

If the other countries want it bad enough they will establish their own
screening process for foreign-registered vehicles to go through first,
there-by speeding up ours.

Hitting them in the pockect-book is the only effective way to slow down
this flow.

Martha Byrd
Waco