Pubdate: Mon, 16 Sep 2002
Source: Press, The (OH)
Copyright: 2002 The Press, Metro Press
Contact:  http://www.presspublications.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2511
Author: Vincent Yancey

PRISON & TREATMENT

To the editor: Prison instead of treatment. I'm still stunned that a fellow 
Democrat has publicly advocated prison instead of treatment, and has asked 
voters to literally vote themselves into prison.

The Democratic Party has traditionally championed the causes of poor people 
and it's the poor who fill our prisons. Why would voters choose prison 
instead of treatment?

Children and adults can go to prison for smoking pot. You can lose your 
children, your job and your home for using pot. But not cops' kids or 
judges' kids.

Children and adults are maimed and raped in prisons. It just happened in 
Lucas County. Come out into the real world, Chris. Listen to children 
crying for their parents and parents crying for their children. Listen to 
10-year-olds crying in prison for simply punching an older brother.

You think it won't work in Ohio? It costs too much money? America is 
spending hundreds of billions of dollars on an evil war against its own 
citizens. I hope the voters will give it a try.

All my life, I have advocated against all drugs. I've never even used tea 
or coffee. But most voters are not perfect like you and I, Chris.

Vote for help, not for torture.

Vincent Yancey, Curtice
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