Pubdate: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Mark Fornataro Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2258/a05.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) ENOUGH OF THOSE PARROTING DINOSAURS Re: "Weaker pot law chokes B.C. minister," Dec. 12. Perhaps like the sex-offender registry, it's high time we had a stupid-person registry. When dinosaur politicians like Solicitor General Rich Coleman parrot the U.S.'s mantra "we must intensify the war on drugs," he's asking us to criminalize millions of otherwise law-abiding Canadians while seeking to divert vast amounts of taxpayers dollars that could be best spent elsewhere - -- elsewhere like on educating and treating people with regard to health problems caused by liquor and cigarettes, both of which the government makes a killing (pun intended) on. There's no question breathing anything other than air/oxygen into our lungs is harmful, so let's decriminalize marijuana as the feds have indicated they will in the new year, and let's bury the pernicious hypocrisy of the "war on drugs." Mark Fornataro, Victoria. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager