U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, THANKS BUT NO THANKS FOR 'MESSAGE'

Last night, I discovered my 7-year-old son had in his possession a one-foot
ruler painted white with the message "DRUGS DELIVER BAD NEWS," and the word
"DRUGS" was written on the ruler twice (at the 3.5- and 8.5-inch mileposts)
with a line drawn through the "drug" word each time.

A child cannot pick up this ruler without touching the word "drugs." The
ruler was provided by and has the name of the "United States Postal
Service" written on it.

Well, Uncle Sam, thanks but no thanks. No thanks to the ruler and no thanks
to the postal-rate hike scheduled to go into effect June 30. Stamp this
ruler and this policy "Return to Sender, Message Undeliverable."

More aggravating than the money, the government has given my son a message
without my permission, consent or knowledge.

Sneaky.

And while the message purports to be an "anti-drug" message, in my
judgment, it is not. The message is repeated three times in 12 inches.
Plain and simple, it's a "drug ruler." The ruler puts the subject of drugs
in front of my son duplicitously and repetitiously drugs, drugs drugs ...

I'm willing to bet that the leaders of the Cali, Gulf, Juarez or Tijuana
drug cartels would be willing to deliver rulers with this message to every
school child in America, without charge, if they could get away with it.
This is so because the cartels know just as any college freshman
advertising student knows that a kiddy anti-drug message advertises drugs.

Makes me want to spit on the stamps instead of lick 'em.

JAMES E. GIERACH

Oak Lawn