LOSING THE WAR ON DRUGS

A correspondent wrote to defend the war on drugs as "killing two birds with
one stone." By adopting an aggressive attitude and "chiseling at the wall
one stone at a time" he believes, we can win not only the war on drugs but
eradicate a broad range of criminal activities as well.

If that was true, and considering the draconian lengths this nation has gone
to over the past 30 years in pursuit of the failed social policy of
prohibition, we should be living in the most drug-free and crime-free nation
in the history of civilization. Instead, the United States is the world's
leader in rates of both drug use and incarceration of her own citizens. If
"getting tough on drugs" hasn't worked so far, why does Mr. Weaver believe
more of the same will be any more successful?

Greg Francisco

Paw Paw, Mich.