CHECK IN WASHINGTON

It is true that crime and drugs are a major problem in this country's
public housing communities. However, I feel that the "one-strike" policy is
not a good way to solve the problem ("Use a one-strike rule, but enforce it
sensibly," William Raspberry, April 2).

In my opinion the problem should be solved by first identifying the root of
the problem. The root of the drug problem in this country is not the local
pusher or the neighborhood kingpin but the government.

Many CIA and FBI documents that were once top secret have been found and
show clearly that illegal drugs were filtered into this country in hopes of
crushing the Black Revolution in the late '60s and early '70s. By flooding
these black communities with drugs, the police now could go in and arrest
black people on numerous drug charges. However, drugs would eventually
spread to other communities.

Why is it that more blacks are arrested and jailed on drug charges when
national surveys show that there are more white illegal-drug users?

At the same time, more laws are passed that seem to concentrate on black
communities, such as the one-strike policy. Why isn't there such a policy
for everyone?

I agree with Raspberry that something has to be done to help curb crime in
these areas, but maybe the policy should be enforced in Washington, home of
the real drug pushers.

DOUGLAS A. GILLIAM

Winston-Salem.