LAW UNFAIRLY BLOCKING STUDENT AID TO MARIJUANA OFFENDERS

"The Higher Education Act" was signed into law over three decades ago by
President Lyndon Johnson to open the door for all Americans to a college
education. It establishes federal financial aid programs and work-study
programs. The act is periodically reviewed and updated by Congress.

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 is strictly a law against poor people, but
what else is new? Over 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 higher their education. But let someone get convicted of
having just over an ounce of marijuana, and he or she absolutely can not
get these federal grants!

We are a sick society that will punish a marijuana offender more severely
than a murderer.

There are 80 million marijuana users in these United States! They are not
criminals. They are your family, your friends, your neighbors, your
co-workers and they are taxpayers. Know what kind of voting power that is?

We want our United States Constitution and Bill of Rights back!

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

Anita T. Mayfield

Nettleton