STRAWS IN THE WIND OF JUSTICE

Exactly 13 years and 19 days ago, I began serving a four-month sentence in
Pentonville for possession of cocaine. The prosecution did not demand a
custodial sentence as I had come clean right away and because the drug was
for my own use. The judge gave me four months anyway "so others of your
class and background will begin to respect the laws of this country".

The judge was right. One cannot have two sets of laws, one for the rich and
well-connected, another for the poor and dispossessed. Four months in the
slammer also did wonders for my liver. I am thinking of Jack Straw's son,
who has been accused of handing over some pot to a female reporter.

Two cases that resembled mine 13 years ago come to mind. The first
concerned John Zaccaro, the son of Geraldine Ferraro, the 1984 Democratic
vice-presidential running mate of Fritz Mondale. She was a big loser
against Ronald Reagan, thank God.

Zaccaro was caught red-handed selling - not buying - cocaine, and selling
it to students, to boot. He pleaded not guilty, although everyone on the
Middlebury College campus knew him as a drug dealer. He was given four
months in a country club prison and his parents grumbled that young John
was treated unfairly because of their renown.

Zaccaro should have done hard time, no question about it. He sold to
students for profit. What is an illiterate black youngster to think if the
police arrest him for selling crack to kids and he gets three to five
years? Cocaine leads to crack, and pot can lead to cocaine.

The other case is of one Bernard Farbar, an American drug dealer convicted
of selling a large amount of marijuana, enough to make him a very rich man.

Farbar was well-connected and all sorts of writers and celebrities came to
his rescue in lengthy and lachrymose articles about his plight. He got six
years instead of the 25 that he deserved.

William Styron described the soft prison in which Farbar was held as an
American gulag - a hell of an insult to those millions who died in the
gulag for their beliefs, not for greed ` la Farbar.

A few months before he became a minister, Straw wrote a letter to The
Sunday Times saying the opinions of types such as I who have done time
should not be taken seriously. Well, yes and no.

At least I did my time without complaining. When liberals defended Zaccaro
and Farbar, they sent the wrong signals to the not-well-connected.

Straw is not to blame if his son was stupid enough to be lured into
handling some drugs, but he has to take responsibility if his son has
committed a crime. He has to resign, otherwise the government's Crime and
Disorder Bill will be laughed to kingdom come.