WHY NOT BUG DRUGGIES?

If Mr. Hering's assertion that the Bush administration has done nothing
wrong by engaging in illegal wiretaps to help fight the "war on terror"
("Difference: It's a war measure," Feb. 9), then why isn't this tactic
being used to help fight our "war on drugs?" (Or -- is it?)

By Mr. Hering's standards, Bush is not culpable for this illegal
action because he is trying to save thousands of Americans from
another surprise attack. And yet, thousands of Americans will surely
die due to drug-related causes (how may Americans have been lost
already to drugs since Sept. 11, 2001?).

War on terror, war on drugs... what other wars will the present and
future administrations create to justify illegal actions against its
own citizens?

When is an "illegal" action legal and justified? I guess, according to
the Bush administration and to Hasso Hering, this question is up to
each individual to decide since the laws that govern us are too
restrictive, too burdensome and in some cases, too
inconvenient.

Leonora Rianda,

Albany