CHALLENGE THE DARE LIES

Why do you publish more propaganda for the DARE program? The government
already spends over $3 billion a year on anti-drug propaganda. Isn't that
enough? DARE has been a failure, and studies have shown that drug use has
increased among participants.

DARE is merely another big-government pork program that allows police to
wander around a safe group of children instead of catching real criminals
in dangerous situations.

President Bush says there are not enough government agents to track
terrorism, immigration, anthrax and snipers. Yet we have enough police to
waste time on youth-indoctrination programs? Every police hour spent inside
the safety and comfort of a school is an hour that's not being spent
looking for terrorists.

The failed drug war is merely an attempt to suppress marijuana. Last year
in the United States, there were more than 700,000 citizens imprisoned for
marijuana.

While 11 states have already voted to legalize medical marijuana, the
government still ignores the will of the voters.

Enough big-government, pork-barrel spending. Keep propaganda out of our
schools, and let the voters decide the marijuana issue. Put police on the
street chasing real crime, instead of playing nanny at elementary schools.

Bill Harper, Lexington