THOSE JAILED FOR DRUGS POLITICAL PRISONERS

Editor, The Echo;

Re: Pot, cons and pilferers

This story brings to mind the Blue Meanies from the Beatles movie, The
Yellow Submarine. The primary task of the Blue Meanies seemed to be making
sure that nobody was having any fun. Uninvited and violent armed groups
crashing parties where the most serious offence is having a good time is
hardly in keeping with the spirit of Christmas or New Year's celebrations.
Perhaps the police should consider reducing or eliminating their boorish
behaviour, or at least restraining themselves until the holidays are over,
while civilians might consider reflecting on the possibility that victimless
"crimes" should not be tolerated in a democratic society. Meanwhile, a woman
gets raped in Canada what - about every nine seconds? Those of us who do not
look forward to living in a totalitarian society can only ponder with dismay
the lack of progress since Paul Krassner issued the following warning over
15 years ago:

The drug war has transformed the military-industrial complex into the
prison-industrial complex. Fascism is already here, it's just friendly
fascism, with spin doctors galore to explain how it protects you. The
millennium will be a battle between individual freedom and friendly fascism.
As long as a government can arbitrarily decide which drugs are legal and
which are illegal, then those who are behind bars for drugs are political
prisoners.

George Kosinski,

Gibsons, BC