Pubdate: Fri, 09 Jun 2000
Date: 06/09/2000
Source: Mountain Xpress (NC)
Author: Matthew Katz
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n696/a05.html

Joseph Howard writes that, although he used to smoke pot, he
eventually saw the detrimental effects and decided to quit. He goes on
to explain his reasoning on why marijuana prohibition should continue.
That's all well and good; everyone's entitled to an opinion.

But Joe should do the right thing.

He did the crime, now do the time. Joe, if you really believe millions
more Americans need to be imprisoned - including some of my friends,
neighbors, relatives, co-workers, etc. - please show us that you are
not a total hypocrite by turning yourself in and insisting on a long
sentence.

You are, after all, an unpunished criminal - maybe even a felon (did
you ever sell a few doobies to a pal?). And, while you're there, maybe
you can minister to the other marijuana criminals you meet. There's
hundreds of thousands of them in prison already, and they need your
guidance.

Matthew Katz
New Haven, Conn.

[Editor's note: A letter printed in our May 24 issue by Joseph Howard
- "Skip the pot, get a life" - apparently created a firestorm of
controversy across America, after being posted on Web sites such as
the one run by the Media Awareness Project. Because of the number of
responses, some of the letters below are appearing only online.]