D.A.R.E. SHOULD NOT REPLACE PARENTS

Tom Stewart (president, D.A.R.E. Board of Directors) stated in his letter
on Dec. 29 that he is responsible for educating our children on the dangers
of drugs.

What about their parents? Aren't they the ones responsible for educating
their children? When did you take that responsibility? Why should I pay for
you to educate other children? It's the parents' responsibility, Mr.
Stewart, not your government-funded, which is taxpayer-funded, organization.

By the way, why should I pay for the D.A.R.E. program when it has not shown
to significantly help reduce the number of people who use drugs? I believe
that the parents are the ones who are the role models and the ones who
convince their children that drugs are not the way to lead one's life.

Christine Kirchner

Long Beach