WE WERE SURPRISED AT PRO-DRUG RESPONSES

Last week's editorial, "Drug abusers not welcome here," generated more
response than any editorial we've written in a while.

We heard from 10 readers.

One liked the editorial.

Nine didn't.

You read that right: Nine people sent e-mails disagreeing with our
position that war be declared on drugs in Laclede County.

One person called in support of the editorial.

All nine critics were from out of state, from places like Pittsburgh;
Fort Worth and Austin, Texas; Agua Dulce, Calif.; and Victoria,
British Columbia, Canada.

The one supporter was from Lebanon.

The best we can figure, someone distributed the editorial via the
Internet to a pro-drug mailing list as soon as it was posted on our
Web site late Saturday night. The first e-mail attacking the editorial
- -- from Short Hills, N.J. -- came at 6:55 a.m. Sunday, before most
Laclede County residents had opened their Sunday papers.

The e-mails all were along the lines of this comment from Howard J.
Wooldridge of Austin, Texas:

"The liberals of the early 20th century who gave us alcohol
prohibition and all the others (like marijuana prohibition) really
believed it would (make) America a better place. They were wrong.
Americans are head-strong (and) will take the drug they want, whether
it is legal or not. Prohibition has not worked, since Adam and Eve bit
on the apple."

That the pro-drug lobby is so well-organized caught us off guard.
Critic Clay Lovett of Jackson, Tenn., probably was on target when he
wrote, "You are right about one thing, you have certainly had your
head buried."

We also were surprised by the local apathy that resulted in only one
positive response locally.

But we were encouraged when we read that the Laclede County Sheriff's
Department had arrested four more people in a drug raid Wednesday night.

Drug abuse is not tolerable in our community. Drug abusers and drug
traffickers are not welcome here.

And every meth lab shut down by local law enforcement is a step in the
right direction.