THOSE WHO INGEST, SELL DRUGS DON'T GET FAIR SHAKE

Regarding your March 15 page-one story: "14 suspects nabbed in drug bust."

The only purpose of today's drug laws is to distract attention away from
more important issues by conducting a brutal, Hitler-like pogrom, first to
ostracize and then to destroy the innocent few who ingest or sell certain
drugs. How did the politicians win our approval, or at least our
acceptance, of such a manifestly evil crusade? The answer: The media, in
two ways.

First, the media immerse us in such a torrent of matter-of-fact,
"objective" accounts of the mayhem (like this one) without allowing the
victims' stories to be told so that we become inured to their plight and
are persuaded that "they only have themselves to blame."

Second, the media never miss an opportunity to allow those who profit from
the drug laws (cops, drug "experts," DAs, politicians, etc. -- but
especially the cops) to tell their stories over and over, while allowing
only the occasional letter or op-ed article from those who oppose the law.

As to why do the media support this pogrom, I can only surmise that
tragedy, suffering and war sell more newspapers and attract higher TV
ratings ratings than happiness, contentment and peace.

How should we describe the relationship between politicians who engage in
such a loathsome pogrom and the media that support it? Axis of Evil sounds
about right to me.

Alan Randell,

Victoria, B.C., Canada