Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jan 2001
Source: New York Post (NY)
Copyright: 2001 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
Contact:  1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8790
Feedback: http://nypostonline.com/postopinion/letters/editor.htm
Website: http://nypostonline.com/
Authors: Danny Terwey, R.G. Frano, Jim Mensching, Myron Von Hollingsworth, 
Redford Givens
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n007/a02.html
Note: All headlines but the first supplied by MAP

DRUG-WAR RACISM - IS ANYTHING ELSE NEW?

I enjoyed your editorial on the racial inequities of the drug war ("One Law 
for the Rich?" Editorial, Jan. 1). The discrepancy between prosecution 
rates of minority crack possessors and white cocaine holders is nothing 
new. We've known that this would be the result since the '80s, when the 
anti-crack offensive took hold. Politicians react instinctively, waging 
war, hoping for heroism.

Danny Terwey

Santa Cruz, Calif.

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WHITE SHOULD RESIGN

Your editorial concerning U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White's selective 
enforcement of the drug laws invites the following speculation: If every 
so-called "recreational drug user" in America were arrested in the next 24 
hours, how long would it take for the economy to grind to a total halt? The 
so-called drug war is America's latest excuse to harass minorities. And 
it's working so well that the drug prices are going down on every street 
corner in America. Ms. White should resign for wasting all these billions 
of dollars each year.

R.G. Frano

Jersey City, N.J.

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JUSTICE SHOULD BE BLIND

Thank you, Mary Jo White, for demonstrating that enforcing the law has both 
economic and racial boundaries. Everyone cries "reverse racism" when a 
Bronx jury acquits a cop killer, but we look the other way when a white 
professional gets a free ride. Justice and its application should be as 
blind to baggy clothes in Washington Heights as it is to Armani suits on 
the Upper East Side.

Jim Mensching

Virginia Beach, Va.

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RACIST ENFORCEMENT POLICIES

Maybe the politicians and the media are required to adhere to the party 
line of prohibition because so many political institutions just can't live 
without the budget justification. The drug war also promotes, justifies and 
perpetuates racist enforcement policies and is diminishing many freedoms 
and liberties that are supposed to be inalienable, according to the 
Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Myron Von Hollingsworth

Fort Worth, Texas

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JIM CROW DRUG WAR

Drug prohibition began with highly fictional accusations about minority 
drug users. That racism has only increased today. America's Jim Crow drug 
warriors jail 13 times as many black drug prisoners as white, even though 
whites use five times the amount of drugs as blacks. If our racist drug 
crusaders ever dare enforce their lunatic drug-prohibition laws against 
whites the way they do minorities, the drug war will be over within a week.

Redford Givens

San Francisco, Calif.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens