Michael Wiman (Letters, December 26) yes, I do remember the "just
say no to drugs" campaign of the Reagan years. These were the
same years that ushered in a rash of minimum sentencing and
sentencing guidelines so barbaric and unjust that today 87% of
our federal judiciary is opposed to them.

Clearly the vast majority of these disillusioned judges were
appointed by republican presidents. As to blaming Clinton for a
failed drug war, no single politician bears the entire blame.
Drug war hysteria has been a convenient tool for our presidents
and our congress and state lawmakers as well. War rhetoric and
escalation passes freely between partisan lines. Why? Appearing
tough on crime gets votes. Drug addiction has remained a constant
in 5% of our population since the drug war began.

Drug enforcement dollars have not been "slashed". On the
contrary, drug war spending has increased exponentially each year
since "war" was declared over thirty years ago. Last year direct
costs were $15.2 billion while indirect costs are no longer
calculable. Clinton is increasing spending for 1998. These are
the facts. What are we getting for our money besides destruction?
Solutions could be found in pragmatism - they will never be found
in hysteria.

Public recognition of the facts will be the first steps of
reform. At present rates of incarceration, within fifty years
half of our citizens will be behind bars. We had better start
looking beyond the hysteria and pay attention to these facts. Our
freedom depends on it.

Nora Callahan
Colville, WA