LIMBAUGH LATEST CASUALTY IN MISGUIDED WAR ON DRUGS

To the Editor:

I am still in shock; having spent today doing the unthinkable, the
unimaginable. It was terrible and ripped at the very core of my soul.
May the good Lord forgive me. I spent the day defending Rush Limbaugh
in heated discussions with my friends.

No, I am not referring to the ESPN comment. That statement was way
overblown. Clearly, to a reasonable ear, Rush's words targeted
affirmative action and not race itself. His words carried no reference
to skin color itself as making a difference in Donovan McNabb's
stature. Rather, Rush said that it was the practice of promoting
people "because of" their color; implying the NFL is practicing
race-based affirmative action in determining quarterbacks. To both
claims, I say "balderdash."

What brought me to my feet in defense of the King of all Dittoheads
was his being implicated in an illegal drug scheme. From what I can
discern from the news, Rush was trading cigar boxes filled with cash
for cigar boxes filled with narcotics. Any person associated with
prosecuting our current national policy of prohibition will tell you
that, if true, then Limbaugh is guilty of several felonies.

What I find troubling is that this man, who is alleged to have used
narcotics in an illegal fashion, paid money to the black market and
hence funded terrorists, and supported "get-tough-on-crime" Republican
Party policies, is also at the top of his game. Whatever you may say
about Rush Limbaugh, you have to confess he is a successful star and
businessman.

I think it is time to "out" Limbaugh and prove by yet another example
that "drug use" is not "drug abuse." The proof is that yet another
highly successful, well-known and ... ummm ... respected, functioning
citizen of this country was able to moderate and control his drug use
such that it did not interfere with his life. Kudos for Rush.

Limbaugh and his situation should cause us to pause and reconsider our
current drug policy. As it stands now, if true and in accordance with
the attorney general's recent edict for "maximum crime /maximum time,"

Limbaugh should end up spending many years in a federal prison. Some
may contend Rush deserves prison for being a windbag. True or not,
Rush does not deserve to have his life ruined because his drug of
choice was not alcohol.

Why do we keep doing this to ourselves? Why do we spend the money?
What good is found in the past 30 years of war against our own people?
How many more billions should be spent? How many more millions of
Americans should be imprisoned? Let Limbaugh's case open the discussion.

Mark David Blum