DOUBLE STANDARD

Re What Do You Do With A Problem Like Noelle? (Oct. 5): Thank you for
giving this topic the kind of level-headed thought we can't seem to muster
down here in the United States.

The sequence of drug-related felonies and the subsequent handling of Noelle
Bush have finally given us a clear definition for the George W. Bush
campaign slogan "Compassionate Conservative."

The Bushes ask us to respect their family's privacy even as they stockpile
more battering rams to break down everyone else's front door. We can now
see that a compassionate conservative is one who conserves all his
compassion for his own family.

Substance abuse will strike millions of families. Both liberals and
conservatives need to ask themselves the same question: Do we want our
grandchildren to spend their lives in jail?

Bob Ramsey

Irving, Tex.