ALCOHOL IS DANGEROUS - AND LEGAL

The comments by various officials about the stand of Libertarian Sheriff
Bill Masters of San Miguel County on the Drug War remind me of a quote by
Eugene V. Debs: "When great changes in history are involved, as a rule the
majority are wrong. The minority are right" ("Sheriff scoffs at drug war,"
Metro, Dec. 10).

Gov. Bill Owens, El Paso County Sheriff John Anderson and U.S. Attorney
John Suthers have helped build their political careers and state and local
budgets off of the huge sums of tax money being spent in the so-called drug
war. It cannot be argued that alcohol causes many times more deaths, family
abuse and addiction, yet it is a legal substance. These officials'
statements are disingenuous at best, political pandering and destructive to
our society.

However, Masters pointed out the key issue when he stated that the
diversion of $17.8 billion in funding for the drug war is funding that
should be going to defend this nation against terrorist attacks and real crime.

We should demand accountability of our officials for the diversion of funds
in the face of attacks on our soil and the failure to solve real crimes of
murder and attempted murder, robbery, rape, assault, theft and property
crimes, many more of which are committed under the influence of alcohol
than drugs, I might add.

Colette Wright

Peyton