U.S. ATTORNEY'S VIEW ON DRUGS, TERRORISM SELF-SERVING

U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner's equation of substance abuse with terrorism
("War against terrorism, illicit drugs are identical," April 14) is
disingenuous and self-serving.

Realistically, terrorists plunging an airliner into my neighborhood won't
hit anything but pines and maybe a possum or two. I imagine southwestern
West Virginia isn't much different. Warner knows he won't be very busy with
the likes of Osama bin Laden, and if the war on terrorism usurps the futile
anti-drug crusade, his office will become a sleepy backwater.

Warner assumed the war on drugs would continue raking in hordes of hapless
drug offenders, from which he could pick out a select few for publicity as
he climbs the political ladder. If this stream of prison fodder dries up,
Warner is stuck with the occasional bank robber and tax cheat -- not
exactly what he or his counterpart federal minions have in mind.

It's time to recognize that tastes and habits in the use of intoxicants
move along with the times, just like other fashions and conventions.
Regarding the legitimacy of addictive harmful substances, we compromised
long ago with alcohol and tobacco.

Mett Ausley

Lake Waccamaw, N.C.