COLUMN WAS 'APPALLING'

Dear Editor:

Re Stoners need a better argument, In My Opinion, The Record, Dec. 9

What a breathtakingly appalling column.

1. It is not only "stoners" who oppose the prohibition of marijuana.
I do. The Senate does. Three former mayors of Vancouver do. And many,
many more except that Matthew Claxton is too damn lazy to do any
research on the issue. In any event, resorting to demeaning name
calling such as this has no place in a supposedly respectable publication.

2. A teenager walking along the street and confronted by a police
officer who demands he or she empties his/her pockets is not going to
be carrying an "essay, or - a flip chart or PowerPoint presentation"
in order to present a cogent argument to the cop - not that the
officer is going to listen anyway. If Claxton was such a nerd that he
lugged around such items when he was in high school, no wonder no one
offered him a joint.

3. Perhaps Claxton could let us know what type of thoughtful argument
was presented to Parliament back in 1923 to persuade our lawmakers to
ban marijuana. Hint: There was none!

4. There is no more reason to punish the users and suppliers of
certain recreational drugs today than there was in the past to burn
witches, lynch blacks or gas Jews.

Alan Randell,

Victoria