DRUGS-TERRORISM LINK DOESN'T MAKE SENSE

U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner's opinion piece, "War Against Terrorism, Illicit
Drugs Are Identical" (April 14), will surely make points with his/her
superiors. Unfortunately it doesn't make sense.

Prohibition supporters using the "drugs fund terrorism" argument only carry
the point halfway. What is it about drugs that is more responsible for the
astronomical, tax-free profits enjoyed by less-than-savory characters? Is
it the use or is it the policy of Prohibition which removes all control and
regulation from that class of trade goods?

When Bayer marketed over-the-counter heroin, no criminals were setting up
rival pharmacies, where they would have to work regular hours. When alcohol
Prohibition ended, the bootleggers got out of the business and stayed out.
How many dealers of illegal drugs ask our kids for proof of ID?

Prohibition is not about control of a product, it is about total social
control. Unfortunately it also must rework the U.S. Constitution a bit. A
little edit here, remove an Amendment there .

Allan Erickson
Eugene, Ore.

DRUG PROHIBITION TO BLAME, NOT CRIMINALS

I'm writing about Kasey Warner's April 14 op-ed column, "War on terrorism,
illicit drugs are identical."

Illegal drugs are financially supporting terrorism for one reason. Drug
prohibition. When pure pharmaceutical grade Bayer heroin was legally
available in local pharmacies for about the same price as Bayer aspirin,
criminals and terrorists were not involved in the drug trade.

Except for the fact that drugs are illegal, criminals and terrorists would
not be involved in the drug business today.

Kirk Muse
Mesa, Ariz.

FURTHERING DRUG WAR HELPS FOSTER TERRORISM

I take strong exception to Kasey Warner's April 14 column equating drug
prohibition with the war on terrorism. I find it reprehensible to use the
recent horrors to beat the culture-war drums.

In fighting terrorism, we fight an effort to impose medieval fundamentalism
on our free society, but drug war apologists see an opportunity to whip up
support for their failed social experiment. Our society rejects the
repression of the Taliban but drug war extremists envision their own
fundamentalism.

Furthering the drug war on Americans does advance work for the terrorists
by seeding intolerance. Someday soon those who advocate more repression and
incarceration of drug users will be seen for the misanthropes they are and
will be classed with those who gave us the Taliban, the Salem Witch Trials,
the Inquisition and all the other examples of man's inhumanity to man.

Dave Michon
Eau Claire, Wisc.