Pubdate: Mon, 16 Jul 2001
Source: Grand Island Independent (NE)
Copyright: 2001 Grand Island Independent
Contact:  http://www.theindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1023
Author: Alan Reiner

PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG USE ISN'T AN AFFECTIVE SOLUTION

I am writing this in response to the July 12 letter called "We need harsher 
penalties for those who do drugs."

Mr. Wells seems to have a very close-minded opinion of drugs, and uses this 
personal opinion to promote harsher laws on drug users. It's depressing to 
think of all the people who are arrested every day because they decided to 
smoke a joint, or drop some acid. It's not necessarily good for them, but 
neither is it any of our business to tell them what to ingest.

Quite obviously, Mr. Wells thinks otherwise, and he is certainly entitled 
to his opinion. But it does nothing to justify an even harsher policy 
against drug users that has been consistently failing for the past 30 years.

Mr. Wells writes "There can be no situation so bad as to make someone want 
to to do drugs or to drink themselves into oblivion. It just doesn't make 
sense. To feel high -- that isn't a very convincing excuse. To relieve 
stress -- get a massage."

It seems as if Mr. Wells suggests that every person in the U.S. who uses 
any psychoactive drug should be locked up, given criminal records, and 
suffer the homosexual rape that many jailed drug offenders experience. And 
why? Because they choose how they want to relieve stress and escape reality.

"Who cares if there are 25 people in one jail cell?"I think you would, if 
half of your family and friends were stuck in those overcrowded jail cells. 
It's not humane, especially when we could be filling the jails with actual 
criminals rather than locking up people who make choices they should be 
naturally entitled to.

Alan Reiner

Arlington, Va.
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