TOUGHENING POT PENALTIES AT OU IS THE WRONG DIRECTION TO TAKE

It's quite obvious that the OU Review and Standards Committee has not done
any research on America's longest war. The move to stiffen marijuana
penalties is futile to say the least (The NEWS, Nov. 1). The students will
just find more efficient ways to hide their use. I have long been an
advocate of marijuana decriminalization and see this as another
short-sighted blow to the cause. After all, isn't this the USA? Don't we
pride ourselves on our freedoms and liberties? How free can we be as long
as anybody wants to oppress the freedom of choice?

But let's not dwell on the obvious. So what good is it going to do to have
funding cut for a future journalist, artist, doctor, physicist, engineer,
all because they chose to exercise their freedom of choice?

OU should be worrying about or targeting the excessive use of such man-made
drugs as cocaine and methamphetamine during exams. Why would they want to
target a drug that does less harm than the legal one in this town that does
the most harm -- alcohol? Truth is, I've never seen a single person start a
fight, vandalize property, act out in a disorderly fashion, kill someone or
overdose due to marijuana consumption. In fact as far as death tolls go,
marijuana is the only drug to boast no casualties as a result of consumption.

Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but as long as people continue this war
on a gift of God, I will continue to state it. Wake up, OU, your policy
change will do much more harm than the innocent plant you're trying to
eradicate from your grounds. I'm with you, Mr. Baer, if pot is a problem
for a select few, then intervention is the answer, not trodding off in the
wrong direction only to find their tactics have little effect.

Oh and Rep. Souder, what is your real agenda? War on drugs indeed!

Jake Cargeno

Athens