Pubdate: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 Source: Logan Banner, The (WV) Copyright: 2002 The Logan Banner Contact: http://www.loganbanner.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1640 Author: Cpt Richard N. Ojeda II, Kim Green LEGALIZE WHAT???? Dear Editor, How many of us who read this article know someone who has lost their life due to an inconsiderate person who believes it is alright to operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs? How many of us know people who at one time had a promising future before they became involved with drugs and threw it away? Does anyone out there have any memories of watching loved ones hug and kiss their children goodbye because they were sentenced by the courts to pay a debt to society? Unfortunately, I have to say yes to all of the above. I could ask thousands of questions like the ones above and I would guarantee that 98.1 percent of us would have to agree. (The other 1.9 percent will probably be too fried to comprehend what I am saying). I was reading an article in the "Letters to the Editor" section and was nearly knocked off of my chair. It was an article concerning the idea of legalizing marijuana. The individual who wrote the article apparently believes that by allowing people to grow and sell this substance, Logan County would then be saved from its turmoil. Thanks but No Thanks Mr Cheech or Mr Chong! (Whichever it is you prefer). To the local authorities of this individual's hometown I say "Stop by and visit our so-called hero with all of the ideas." Just be careful when he opens the front door! I wouldn't want you to be knocked off of the porch from the fumes! Drugs Kill! The thought of making them legal is insane. I have two children that I love more than life itself and I pray that I can raise them with enough sense to know the difference between right and wrong. Logan County needs to become even steeper on the criminals that sell this garbage to our children! If an individual is found with drugs in his car then we need to take his car! I don't care if he was out cruising his daddy's trendy sports car. We need to take the car and slap a Logan County Police sticker on the side of it so our officers have a new tool to assist in catching speed offenders! If a person is dealing drugs from the back porch of their home, then they lose their house! It either gets auctioned or destroyed and the offenders must still pay for the clean up of the area. If we catch a whino selling drugs out of a Maytag box, BURN THE BOX!!! All of us who have moved from place to place know how hard it is to find a good box! Maybe this type of attitude is what we need to run the dope heads out. I personally don't care where they go, as long as they travel in the direction that faces away from Logan County. This may sound unfair to some. I am sure there are those out there that will say people are not brought up in this world equally. I agree that we all enter this world under different circumstances. That does not give us permission to always take the easy wrong over the hard right. Some of the greatest men and women in history were born into poverty and eventually rose to fame and fortune because of the belief systems that their families raised them to live by. (Colin Powell, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower etc.) I am sure that I will become unpopular to the crowd that hangs out on the bridges and around the bomb fires that blaze into the late hours of EVERY NIGHT. To these individuals I have to say "Put the pipe down, move out of your parent's attic and get on with your own life." TRANSLATION: Drop the weed dude! Get your own pad and score your own groceries! Airborne All The Way! CPT Richard N. Ojeda II - ----------------------------------------------------------- Legalize Pot Dear Editor, It is obvious that this person has never had to deal with the issues of drugs. That's why we have laws! So he is saying legalize pot then everybody who drinks just crawl in your car drink and drive kill whoever. I think it is called wake up and get a life. Deal with reality! People in any situation, whatever it maybe, can always try to better their selves and it doesn't have to be by selling drugs. Kim Green - --- MAP posted-by: Beth