Pubdate: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 Source: Houston Press (TX) Copyright: 2004 New Times, Inc. Contact: http://www.houston-press.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/199 Author: Thomas Clark Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1387/a01.html POINTLESS AND CRUEL Thank you for Michael Serazio's excellent article. It is very informative and well written. I especially appreciated the interviews with Dr. Ron Paul and Alan Bock. Several Libertarian Party candidates have spoken out for drug reform and are waging active campaigns for the U.S. Congress (www.lpcandidate.com or www.lp.org). In District 136 (Galleria-Memorial Villages), I am running for the Texas legislature. The focal point of my campaign is the benefit of drug relegalization. These benefits include lower taxes (throwing peaceful, nonviolent people in jail costs plenty). Drug prohibition doesn't work. It diverts law enforcement resources away from apprehending murderers, rapists and thieves who richly deserve to be punished. But arresting sick and dying people for the "crime" of trying to alleviate their pain by smoking marijuana is inhumane. Most Democrat and Republican incumbents aren't going to push for even the most obvious and humanitarian reform of medical marijuana. Those serious about freedom of choice in medicine, and ending drug prohibition, should vote Libertarian. Thomas Clark Hedwig Village - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake