RESPECT STATES' RIGHTS

It was always a belief I've held, learned sometime in grade school, that
the states had the right to be self-governing. Without interference from
the federal government. Now, the feds are weighing in on overruling state
laws regarding medicinal marijuana. Gay marriages and or domestic
partnerships are also in the wings on the federal level, while states are
deciding on this subject, too. It's said those who refuse to learn from
history are doomed to repeat it.

One of the last times the federal government trounced on the states'
rights, there was this little disturbance we call the Civil War. Maybe the
slavery issue overshadowed this item, but it, too, was a leading cause of
this war. My thoughts? Legalize marijuana across the board! It is no more
addictive or habit-forming than either cigarettes or alcohol. This way the
states (and feds) could not only regulate it, but also collect taxes on it
to help reduce their budgets, without raising taxes.

At 48, I never have tried, nor intend to start, smoking pot. I quit smoking
cigarettes 20 years ago and enjoy an occasional drink. I've been married
for 23 years. I just think that there are more important issues than
marijuana or gay marriage for the federal government to be concerned with.

ROBERT JOHNSTON

Newburgh