IS WAR ON DRUGS REALLY WAR ON BLACKS?

So we're all ready to rally behind the new drug czar, are we? (Forum
section, April 14) This time it will be different John Walters says now
we're going to look at the drug trade as "a market" as opposed to the old
drug czar, who apparently was under the impression rival gangs have been
killing each other over the right to give the drugs away for free.

I guess as long as the rhetoric is slightly different, people will buy into
anything. The sad part is, we obviously are as naive as he thinks we are.
So many people support the war on drugs out of ignorance and fear. It stems
from this childish notion that anything we like should be publicly funded,
and anything we dislike should be banned. The irony is, as Cincinnati falls
all over itself to "improve race relations," there seems to be nearly
universal support for what could easily be referred to, instead of the "war
on drugs," as the "war on black males."

Until people are ready to admit this and allow police departments to focus
their resources on actual criminal activity, where some sort of coercion is
taking place, no real change can occur.

David Stevens

Batesville