NO LENIENCY FOR DRUG DEALERS

I've been following for a while the furor in the letters section over the
arrests of the 19 in Great Barrington, but after Al Piccin's letter
("Western Massachusetts is not West Texas," April 29) I've finally had
enough. He asks, "How many of the Torquemadas now crying for blood never
participated in such adventures when they were in their teens or early
20s?" Well I, for one, never did. I could ignore this statement if it was
an isolated one, but it's a sentiment that's been repeated ad nauseum in
defense of those arrested. Maybe it's just something wrong with me, but
somehow I've managed to make it to the ripe old age of 20 without ever
having sold cocaine, in a parking lot or elsewhere. If the 400 or so
petition-signers of Great Barrington were signing to protest the
school-zone law itself (which, yes, is stupid and unnecessary), or were
incensed that these people had been arrested for, say, smoking pot in a
basement, my signature would be on there too. But no, they're asking for
leniency for these "young people" (who are being charged as adults, which
tells us they're over 17) as though somehow they have some special spark
distinguishing them from other drug dealers. And people have the audacity
to talk about the potential and "bright futures" that are being sidetracked
by this apparent hideous miscarriage of justice. Yeah, selling coke in
parking lots is often a big indicator of great things to come.

It's also offensive because it implies that others arrested for exactly the
same thing are somehow inferior to them. Is it because of their town of
residence? Their race? Their economic level? Please, those of you defending
these criminals, I'd like to know: what makes them so much better than
every other drug dealer in Berkshire County and the world at large? As I
said, the school-zone rule is ridiculous, but it's a rule that only affects
people who are already selling drugs, which is still illegal.

Finally, I was angered by Mr. Piccin's comments about thinking western
Massachusetts was more "enlightened" than places such as West Texas and
western Mississippi. I'm a life-long resident of Massachusetts and very
proud to be, as well as a die-hard liberal, but I hate to think of people
forming opinions of my state based on a handful of individuals, especially
when some present such hypocritical, elitist views.

MOLLY MACGREGOR, Pittsfield, April 30, 2005