MARIJUANA BAN KEEPS US LESS SAFE

As a street cop who worked the trenches of the drug war spanning three
decades, I heartily agree with the observations of Sutton Stokes ("Is
marijuana legalization finally on the march in the U.S.?" Communities,
Tuesday). The prohibition of marijuana and the subsequent arrest of
800,000 citizens, mostly for personal use, means less time for deadly
DUI offenders. When detectives are flying around in helicopters trying
to find green plants, they are missing the pedophiles who are in the
Internet chat rooms making contact with our young teens. We have all
seen NBC's "To Catch a Predator." Police labs are not opening 400,000
rape kits and putting the DNA in the computer because proving the
green stuff is marijuana is more of a priority.

This is insane. We are doing a poor job of protecting our little boys
and girls and women in order to make the safe, easy and lucrative bust
of a peaceful pot smoker. Will we ever become as wise as our
grandparents and repeal this prohibition?

Howard J Wooldridge