Pubdate: Fri, 29 Mar 2002
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Authors: Susan Fertile, Alan Randell

NOBODY'S INNOCENT WHERE DRUGS INVOLVED

To the editor:

Re: Drugs Affect All Members of a Family, Capital News March 13.

An assumption was made about our family but it was wrong. We have never had 
a family member die due to drugs.

In response to Chuck Beyer, March 15, Prohibition Doesn't Work Against 
Drugs, your letter may have confused some readers about my daughter 
Angela's comments. Do not assume, Chuck-Angela did not say drug dealers are 
like murderers, you did. Her point was that drug dealers are not innocent.

We were confused with your response and it didn't make any sense to us but 
that's OK. As for prohibition: in a perfect world there'd be no cravings, 
no pain, no drugs, no overdosing, and no tears. But we live here.

I'm sincerely very sorry for your loss Chuck and Alan Randell and whoever 
else has lost someone to drugs.

In response to Gregory Teleglow, The War Is Lost, March 20, I disagree with 
your theory as well. The law is put in place for a reason. We need it and 
we should respect it and those who enforce it. Dirty money has no place in 
health care or education.

Regardless what anyone has said, dealers are not innocent, the freedom of 
speech is good, confusion reaps confusion .

Susan Fertile,

Kelowna

To the editor:

Re: Police officer helps bust neighbour's home grow-op, Mar. 27

Don't you realize that, in publishing items like this, you are helping the 
government operate a brutal pogrom against innocent citizens? How was 
Hitler able to persuade a majority of a well-educated population that his 
policies towards the Jews were acceptable? Government propaganda 
disseminated by government-controlled media.

Another Holocaust has come. This time, the victims are members of a 
minority who ingest or sell certain supposedly dangerous drugs, even though 
two of our more dangerous drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are legal.

Possibly because tragedy, suffering and war sell more newspapers and 
attract higher TV ratings ratings than happiness, contentment and peace, 
there is no need for government control of the media here.

Assuming you care about innocent people being carted off to jail, please 
make your drug bust stories less one-sided in favour of the authorities by 
including the comments of the individuals arrested and their families as 
well as, wherever possible, the comments of someone who opposes these laws. 
Please try to put a human face on the suffering.

Alan Randell,

Victoria
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