Pubdate: Tue, 07 Oct 2003
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Copyright: 2003 The Seattle Times Company
Contact:  http://www.seattletimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409
Author: Ed Leach

DAMPEN THE SPIRITS

Another school year starts, and another beer riot takes place. It was 
happening when I was in school 30 years ago, and it continues today. The 
police say, "You get a lot of young people who are relatively inexperienced 
with alcohol and relatively inexperienced with life, and you get them away 
from home for the first time... " and "You get a huge number of kids with a 
large amount of alcohol, and in that group they will do things that 
individually they would never, never do. And you get a few kids doing some 
stupid things, and pretty soon others join in." ("Trouble has often found a 
home on Greek Row," Local News, Sept. 30.)

It's accurate to say that college beer blasts, although they rarely 
escalate into riots, are perennial events producing complaints, property 
damage, illness, assault, and -- far too often -- rape. The problem is 
alcohol, as acknowledged by the police and the universities, and a society 
that condones its use.

So, remind me again, why is alcohol legal and marijuana illegal? I've never 
heard of a riot "fueled by pot."

Ed Leach, Issaquah
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom