MR. ROMNEY'S STRANGE MORALITY

It's an unfortunate fact of life in this commonwealth that some people are
addicted to heroin, which they shoot into their veins with a syringe. As
long as a heroin addict isn't committing robbery, burglary or murder, he's
not hurting anyone but himself with his addiction and he certainly doesn't
deserve the death penalty. Sadly, Gov. Mitt Romney does not agree.
Apparently, he'd rather see heroin addicts get AIDS and hepatitis C to
share with their sexual partners and propagate disease than let them buy
clean hypodermic needles and syringes in a drug store. This is a strange
view of morality that is not shared by the state Department of Public
Health or the state's top law enforcement authorities. The Legislature is
taking the advice of the people who deal with the drug problem and is ready
to pass a needle exchange bill and make Massachusetts the 48th state to
allow over the counter needle sales. But the governor is eyeing the
Republican nomination for president and he may veto the bill to show how
tough he is on drugs and crime and moral turpitude. In his campaigning he
is growing out of touch with his state.