POT PLAN

Chicago -- This is regarding "Daley open to marijuana tickets; Mayor, cops
agree that fines are better than case dismissals" (Metro, Sept. 22).

Mayor Richard M. Daley's support for a plan to ticket and fine those found
to be in possession of marijuana instead of arresting them sends the wrong
message to our children.

The message they are going to receive is that smoking marijuana isn't a
serious offense and is equivalent to rolling through a stop sign.

Perhaps the mayor needs to do more research on the subject of drug
addiction and the effect it has had on our society.

Many experts in the field of drug addiction have studied the issue and have
determined that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first
trying marijuana.

Instead of encouraging drug use, the mayor should be speaking against its
use regardless of the experiences of his generation.

We live in a very different time and the pressure on our children is
greater than it has ever been.

Today the availability of even more damaging drugs than marijuana is
greater and they are becoming less expensive.

Why let down our guard and send this destructive message?

Kevin J. Hacker, 36th Ward Republican committeeman