Pubdate: Wed, 05 May 2004 Source: Esquimalt News (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Esquimalt News Contact: http://www.esquimaltnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1290 Author: Alan Randell ESQUIMALT NEWS HEEDS A GOVERNMENT AGENDA Recarding police briefs published, Apr. 21: There is no more reason to punish users and sellers of certain drugs than there was in the past to hang witches, lynch blacks or gas Jews - so why in blazes did you describe this bust as if it were a normal and acceptable occurrence and exclude any comment from those like me who feel that prohibition is NOT the way to go? Describing drug busts in this fashion makes you complicit in these evil pogroms, does it not? There's little chance our drug prohibition law will be deposited in the dustbin of history as it should until our media stops suppressing the opinions of those that oppose this law. Remember the good old days when the media sided with the people against the enormous power of the state? Well those days are gone for ever, it seems, because today's media now is focussed entirely on lining their owners' pockets while encouraging the government to oppress "the noisy rabble" that is us. This is not a media that is serving a democratic society, where a diversity of views is vital to shaping informed opinions. This is a well-oiled propaganda machine that is repackaging government and corporate spin and passing it off as journalism. Alan Randell Saanich - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin