GOODEN A DRUG WAR VICTIM

Regarding "Broken Promise" about Dwight Gooden (front page, April
6):

Americans are frustrated because we've been unable to stamp out
cocaine. Gooden's case is a high-profile example of how hard we try.
He didn't stop using, so we threatened him with jail. He still didn't
stop, so we branded him a lifelong felon. We can't stamp out cocaine,
so we poison the coca farms. We can't poison all the coca, so we
seduce Andes politicians with billions for them to do it for us. They
fail, so we send in mercenaries to help. When they fail, the U.S. Army
will go in. By that time, our drug-testing equipment will have been
perfected to measure nanograms, even picograms, of urine-borne drugs.
Then the cycle will amp up as more Dwight Goodens are discovered.

We Americans are on the wrong track.

JOHN CHASE, Palm Harbor