TRIBUNE DRUG REPORTING IRKS VICTORIA MAN

Editor:

Re: Substantial pot bust, Apr. 10.

Please make some changes to the way you report drug busts.

Drug prohibition was initiated almost a century ago as a means of
"controlling" blacks, Chinese and Mexicans by banning the drugs used by
those minorities.

Today, the police are happy to utilize these racist laws to harass those
whose lifestyle and/or skin colour offends them, while the politicians are
content to let an innocent minority suffer as they troll for votes for
being "tough on drugs."

Notwithstanding drug prohibition's odious origins, our political leaders
tell us drugs are now banned because they're harmful.

Well if that's true, why do we not ban alcohol or tobacco? No, the purpose
of banning some supposedly harmful recreational drugs and not other harmful
recreational drugs has nothing to do with protecting users from harm.

Drug prohibition remains as it was a century ago: A cynical, manipulative
campaign to entertain and distract the majority by persecuting an innocent
minority.

Now, how should a conscientious newspaper editor report drug busts? Some
might protest, "What else can I do but report what happened?" But there's a
sinister side to reporting "just the news" when it comes to drug busts.

The steady drip-drip repetition of countless drug bust stories lulls the
public into complacency about these terrible events and they become less
and less inclined to voice any protest. Reporting one drug bust as straight
news may persuade the public to question the law.

A thousand drug bust stories only tends to make people bored with the whole
issue and to convince them that drug users "only brought it on themselves."

You may find it helpful to reflect upon the challenges faced by the media
of Nazi Germany and how you feel they should have reported the
incarceration and slaughter of Jews, assuming, of course, they had the
freedom to do so.

The internment of Canadians of Japanese descent during World War 2 is
another example of government's propensity to crush an innocent minority.

After thinking this through, hopefully you will consider changing the way
you report drug busts which likewise involve the government ordered
punishment of innocent people.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Include the comments of those, like me, who oppose these laws.

2. Include the comments of the victims, i.e. those arrested and their
families and friends as well as (with their permission of course)
information on where they went to school, who their parents are, who their
partners are, etc., etc. In short, personalize them.

3. Include the comments of the defending lawyer and not just the
prosecuting one.

4. Ask the drug cops if they expect to be punished for enforcing
prohibition after we come to our senses and end it (or the courts do it for
us) and some sort of truth and reconciliation commission is set up to find
out how we went so wrong. The cops, of course, will bleat about having a
duty to enforce the law. Remind them about Adolph Eichmann who was hanged
for doing exactly that. Helping to enforce laws that are crimes against
humanity is surely itself a crime.

5. Include a summary of your editorial position, if any, on these laws.

If you and your media colleagues continue to suppress the voices of the
victims and otherwise depersonalize them, I fear our evil drug prohibition
laws will be with us for a thousand years. It is time you began to serve
the public instead of our venal drug cops and gutless politicians.

Alan Randell Victoria