DRUG LAWS DENY EDUCATIONAL ACCESS

Editor:

The Higher Education Act was signed into law more than three decades ago by
President Lyndon B. Johnson to open the door for all Americans to a college
education to whom it had earlier been closed.

It establishes federal financial aid programs such as Perkins Loans, Pell
Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, PLUS Loans and
Work-Study programs. The act is periodically reviewed and updated by
Congress to ensure adequate funding and access to college for millions of
Americans.

Then, the 1998 revision to the HEA included a new provision that blocked
college opportunities to students revealing drug convictions on their free
application for federal student aid.

This is completely discriminatory to children of lesser means or adults who
want to continue their education and better themselves but cannot because
of a possession charge.

This law does not apply to children of wealthy-enough parents who can
easily pay for their child's education, no matter if their child has been
jailed for felony possession. This is strictly a law against poor people,
but what else is new?

More than 150,000 students have lost their chance at education and we're
still counting. This is an outright disaster.

Now, the truly outrageous slap-in-the-face deal about this law is that a
convicted murderer, rapist or child molester can get financial aid from the
government to further their educations.

The message they're giving us is: "Oh, go out and murder, and rape and
sodomize my children, my mother, my father, my sisters and my brothers and
we'll make sure you can get an education. But, by God, if you go and have a
relaxing smoke instead of the well-sanctioned-martini, and we, as the
government of, for and by the people, will keep you down for the rest of
your pathetic little lives. But, hey, would you please remember to go out
and vote for me anyway?"

We are a sick society that will punish a marijuana offender more severely
than a murderer. Do you honestly think they are truly concerned about our
well being? Do you think that marijuana smokers cause terrorism?

As you can plainly see, what really causes terrorism is prohibition.

We are 80 million strong marijuana users in the U.S. We are not criminals.
We are your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and we
are tax payers. Do you know what kind of voting power that is?

Remember this: Laws are interchangeable, and so are the politicians.

Anita T. Mayfield, Nettleton