Pubdate: Thu, 26 Feb 2004
Source: Peoria Journal Star (IL)
Copyright: 2004 Peoria Journal Star
Contact:  http://pjstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/338
Author: Richard J. Rawlings, 
http://www.mapinc.org/writers/Richard+Rawlings

EDUCATE, NOT INCARCERATE

Re. Feb. 21 story, "Law would crack down on meth-related fires": House Bill 
3882 is a waste of our political leaders' time. We already have laws in 
place to sentence meth manufactures, and this has not detoured the 
manufacturing of meth. This new bill would stiffen the penalty of the meth 
manufacturer who causes fires or explosions to 15 to 50 years behind bars. 
The meth manufacturer already knows that he is looking at a death sentence: 
too much of this ingredient or that ingredient, and ka-boom! They could 
write HB 3882 with a penalty of execution and it still will not stop the 
manufacturing of meth.

It would cost the taxpayers less to send these people to college so they 
could find work than to send them to prison. When will we learn from our 
mistakes and start to educate and regulate, instead of incarcerate?

Richard J. Rawlings

U.S. Marijuana Party Of Illinois

Bartonville 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake