LEGISLATED FOLLY

Youch! The April 14 editorial "One lousy message" seems a tad bitter.
Perhaps I can (and to be safe, perhaps I can't) assuage some of your
despair over institutions of higher education providing assistance to
students losing federal aid over drug convictions.

At least those students convicted of felonious assault, murder, homicide,
drunken driving, theft, rape, domestic spying or toxic dumping can continue
their educations without needing educational salvation from the "liberal
intelligentsia."

Your editorial denies the existence of the fatal failures and excesses of
prohibition. Were prohibition not such a stupid, Constitution- ravaging
policy, methinks disproportional punishment such as the Higher Educational
Act metes out would be nonexistent.

The flagrant fault of falsely founded, legislated foolishness foments its
own dissent.

When "conservative moralists" realize their contribution to the growth of
big government and repressive laws by their fueling of the vehicle of
prohibition, maybe then the insanity of our "war on (some) drugs" will end.

Allan Erickson

Eugene, Ore.