LEGALIZE, TAX AND ENFORCE

Lisbet Mitchell's June 10 commentary, "To save youngsters from drug
use, all must be involved," hit the nail on the head when she stated,
"If smoking pot is cool, it ticks off parents and the school, and to
top it off, it's accessible -- so why not?"

Our children earn a status symbol with their peers for doing something
wrong. Prohibition of marijuana makes it an attractive activity to a
rebelious teenager (as if there is another kind).

As for the civil liberties we don't have any longer, I disagree. If we
teach our kids that they must submit to searches, drug testing and
regular invasions of their privacy, they will be much more willing to
allow this abuse when they are adults.

I do agree with making cannabis unavailable to people under 21. The
only way to do that is to legalize it, as no drug dealer will ever
card your daughter. Yes, there would still be some abuse and some
would get in the hands of children via stupid adults, but it would be
much less than currently is accessible to children. Tax and regulation
is the only way to make our streets safe for kids.

ANTHONY LORENZO
Tampa
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JAILING KIDS FOR OUR FAILURES

Posted July 12 2002 Prohibition has brought all these twisted
realities to us all. My granddaughter came home from school
demonstrating what she had learned in her school drug class: sticking
straws up her nose and asking for something "to snort" -- this from a
child not allowed TV and seeing only G-rated movies.

We're putting our kids in jail instead of schools due to our failures.
There must be some middle ground.

SUZ FOX KALISPELL
Montana
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RIGHTS HARD-WON

Parent Lisbet Mitchell calls our rights and freedoms "nonsense."
Didn't one of our Founders say something along the lines of "those who
would surrender their freedom for a little safety will lose both and
deserve neither?" The surrendering of hard-won liberties is not acceptable.

How many amendments to the Constitution would we have to eliminate to
create that society where drugs are not available to our children?

Mitchell can surrender as many of her rights as she wants, but to
sacrifice her neighbors' rights is, well, un-American.

ALLAN ERICKSON
Eugene, Ore.
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LYING COSTS ADULTS CREDIBILITY

Would the outraged Weston resident have reacted the same if her
13-year-old daughter had been caught with tobacco cigarettes or beer?
They are more dangerous than marijuana, except for the legal
ramifications.

Every kid knows a friend or two that has smoked marijuana with no
consequences. They realize that the adults are lying to them and then
go on to conclude that cocaine or heroine is about the same. We should
know better than to lie to our kids.

MICHAEL KERNER
Former Broward resident
Lenexa, Kan
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KIDS QUICKLY LEARN DECEPTION

I read the comments from a mother in Weston who asks that drug-
sniffing dogs and random drug tests be administered to school
children. I ask her: Does she think this will help? Already schools
with dogs are finding it hard to use them because of tricks the
children learn to either confuse the dogs or conceal the drugs.

Children doing drugs is a tragedy. Address the real problems with
troubled children who do drugs, place the sale of drugs in a legal and
regulated market, and then prosecute those who would provide children
with drugs.

MATTHEW BAILEY
Houston