Pubdate: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX) Copyright: 2000 Amarillo Globe-News Contact: P.O. Box 2091, Amarillo, TX 79166 Fax: (806) 373-0810 Website: http://amarillonet.com/ Forum: http://208.138.68.214:90/eshare/server?action=4 Author: Richard Marchese PLANTING EVIL You state in a Nov. 28 editorial that "New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has received national criticism for his support of drug legalization." What about mentioning the praise he has received? You wrote: "The elements of responsibility and accountability must be realized regarding illegal drug use, which is a primary reason the criminal nature of such illegal activities must be recognized." Criminal "nature"! Are you serious? The prohibition of plants and plant extracts is anti-nature. Prohibitionists are spoiled children ranting at those who disobey them. Americans have always ignored prohibitionists. But the prohibitionists have constantly enabled real criminals to thrive. They thrive on the corruption, the loss of liberty and the tremendous profits to be gained by exploiting prohibition laws. Prohibitionists thrive on the overdose deaths (try purchasing your heart medicine from someone in an alley), which enable them to build an ever-cumbersome bureaucracy to enforce their ill-conceived laws. You say enjoying a plant or plant extract is "criminal nature." We evolved enjoying every and any plant nature gave us. Those who pretend authority to forbid us this pursuit of happiness and health are the criminals. Thanks to prohibitionists, America now has the greatest population in prison in the history of mankind. Their evil knows no end. RICHARD MARCHESE Fairfield, N.J. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart