Valentin Martinez (Letter, March 9) writes, "The War on Drugs has turned
into a war on people, and this is unacceptable. All of our rights and
freedoms are under attack because of the War on Drugs."

I agree; the war on drugs is a dismal failure after nearly $1 trillion and
over 60 years of oppression. Legalization and harm reduction will relieve
our overcrowded prisons of nonviolent criminals, save billions on the war
and actually create revenue through taxes upon the drugs. Drug use among
teen-agers would drop due to regulation and restriction of sales to minors,
unlike the dealers today who sell to whoever has the money. Most
importantly, it will restore our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness, not to mention protection from illegal search and seizures.

Jason Alexander Potts
(Blue Springs, Mo.)