COLUMN ON MARIJUANA SHOULD BE A WAKE-UP CALL

The Oct. 22 column by Bill Steigerwald regarding the legalization of
marijuana has got to be in the top 10 of all-time stupid columns. He
cites reports by Jon Gettleman and Ethan Nadlemann who both decry our
laws prohibiting the legalization of marijuana. The title of
Steigerwald's column is, "Cost of marijuana enforcement and lost
taxpayer revenues is $41.8 billion."

Of the $41.8 billion, he cites the prospective taxes on marijuana as
being $31.1 billion, inferring that our present cost of enforcement
is $10.7 billion.

This column takes the award for 2007's most stupid. How many highway
deaths would take place that were caused by people being stoned on
pot? How many potheads would graduate to the bigger highs given by
taking heroin and cocaine? With the lid off on pot, the loss of lives
and family traumas caused by narcotics sold by the subhuman pushers
would escalate exponentially.

I urge everyone who has read Steigerwald's column to be on the
lookout for both consumers and sellers of drugs and turn them in to
the authorities immediately. If this is done, this column that
condones the legalization of marijuana will be a wake-up call for all
of us and have a positive effect.

Arden A. Anderson

Lafayette