Pubdate: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 Source: Tribune Review (PA) Copyright: 2002 Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Contact: http://triblive.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/460 Author: Allan Erickson Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n719/a03.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act) LEGISLATED FOLLY Youch! The April 14 editorial "One lousy message" seems a tad bitter. Perhaps I can (and to be safe, perhaps I can't) assuage some of your despair over institutions of higher education providing assistance to students losing federal aid over drug convictions. At least those students convicted of felonious assault, murder, homicide, drunken driving, theft, rape, domestic spying or toxic dumping can continue their educations without needing educational salvation from the "liberal intelligentsia." Your editorial denies the existence of the fatal failures and excesses of prohibition. Were prohibition not such a stupid, Constitution- ravaging policy, methinks disproportional punishment such as the Higher Educational Act metes out would be nonexistent. The flagrant fault of falsely founded, legislated foolishness foments its own dissent. When "conservative moralists" realize their contribution to the growth of big government and repressive laws by their fueling of the vehicle of prohibition, maybe then the insanity of our "war on (some) drugs" will end. Allan Erickson Eugene, Ore. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex