DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE DOING REPORTING DRUG BUSTS?

Dear editor,

Re: House arrest for growing pot (Gazette, March 19)

Do you realize what you're doing? This type of one-sided reporting serves
only to maintain public support for drug prohibition, one of the many ways
by which Big Government tries to stamp out any semblance of freedom amongst
its citizens.

Drug prohibition was initiated during the first half of the 20th century as
a means of harassing and "controlling" blacks (marijuana) and Chinese
(opium). In these supposedly more tolerant times, the most enthusiastic
supporters of that racist legislation are the police who are eager to
utilize it to harass and control those whose skin colour and/or lifestyle
offends them and politicians who lean on it to garner votes for being
"tough on drugs."

Describing drug busts and their aftermath as if such police actions were
normal and acceptable lends support to drug prohibition and, of course,
suppressing the voices of those punished, their families and friends as
well as those of us who oppose these ridiculous laws serves further to
dampen any protest.

It's time to finish the job we started when we ended alcohol prohibition
and end the prohibition of all drugs -- and it's long past time that
newspapers such as yours begin to serve the public rather than our gutless
politicians and venal drug cops.

Alan Randell, Victoria