Pubdate: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 Source: Esquimalt News (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Esquimalt News Contact: http://www.esquimaltnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1290 Author: Alan Randell Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) MORE POT PROPAGANDA This letter is in regards to article titled "Esquimalt and Saanich police bust grow op," (Esquimalt News, Sept. 18). Another day, another warmed over police press release served up by the media to persuade us to support drug prohibition, a government program intended to distract attention from government failures in other ares. As far as marijuana goes, this crusade is getting a bit silly. Marijuana is, for all intents and purposes, a legal drug. The people have spoken. Millions of hard-working and productive Americans and Canadians use the stuff including some, I don1t doubt, on your staff. The police should be told to stop wasting their time and our money pulling up plants and instead do what we pay them to do: protect us from dangerous criminals. We must all be nuts to tolerate a law that punishes people for what they choose to ingest into their own bodies. Surely no government has the right to punish anyone for ingesting anything, however harmful - including heroin and other "hard" drugs. Tell me, Mr. editor, would you call the cops if your children were using illegal drugs? No? Then why do you report on the drug war as if it is normal to jail people because of what they choose to ingest into their own bodies? Please wise up and begin reporting on drug prohibition as the fascist-like horror it is. Alan Randell, Knutsford Place - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager