ABSURD PREMISE

Regarding the letter from Mark Woodward ( Your Views, June 30 ): It's
absurd to think a school bus driver, train engineer, pilot,
automobile technician, electrician or surgeon would indulge in the
use of any mind- altering substance while in the performance of their
duties if we altered our punishment for drugs. I'm sure those
persons would no more show up for work high on drugs than they would
show up drunk on alcohol. We shouldn't be subjected to scare tactics
of those in charge of enforcing the laws of our state. Rather than
trying to convince us that we should be so afraid of those persons
who abuse illegal drugs that we should throw them in prison to keep
them away from the rest of us, we should rationally try to understand
why they are self-medicating and work together to find a solution to
this problem. Why promote the incarceration of offenders and then
return them to our communities with the same addiction? I would
suggest that we all encourage our law enforcement officials to seek
increased participation in programs such as drug courts.

EMMIT TAYLOE

Lawton