DRUG LEGALIZATION

Paul Kengor's commentary "A conservative take on drugs" (Forum,
Sunday) is atypically bad. His take on those of us who oppose the war
on drugs, also known as Prohibition II, is wrong in many ways.
Primarily, his notion that legalization advocacy is solely a
libertarian view is absurd.

I would point to former Secretary of State George Shultz, the late
economist Milton Friedman and a man Mr. Kengor quotes, William F.
Buckley, as non-libertarians against the drug war. The good professor
should know that Mr. Buckley was friends with Peter McWilliams, a man
whose death still lays at the feet of Prohibitionists. Mr.
McWilliams' death is one of the saddest examples of our present-day
Prohibition's errant ways, and Mr. Buckley is no friend of the drug war.

Even former Rep. Bob Barr, who almost a decade ago held Washington
voters' ballots hostage for nearly a year because of the medical
cannabis (Measure 59) issue, is supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.

ALLAN ERICKSON

Drug Policy Forum of Oregon

Eugene, Ore.