In reference to the cartoon of a Mexican drug czar that ran on the
Editorial Page Mrch 3: As a Mexican American born in Texas and raised in
San Francisco, I was disappointed that the examiner would run a depiction
of a Mexican selling drugs out of an alleyway. The cartoon [by John Branch]
origin ally ran in a San Antonio newspaper, which does not surprise me.
That it was republished by paper is shocking.
		To be fair, why not place the blame for the drugs coming from south of
the border to the policies of several U.S. administration that allow people
of this nation to be corrupted by drugs. The American dream is now a
nightmare laced with drugs to replace poverty and joblessness. for the
marginalized fringes of our society, drugs are a way of making a living.
		There is not much difference between corruption now and in times past
during prohibition against alcohol, when bootleggers became organized crime
syndicates.
		Until the nation and the U.S. government define a drug enforcement policy
that works to solve this country's appetite for drugs, Mexico and other
countries such as Thailand and Afghanistan will find it difficult to keep
honest government working to solve their own internal problems. Until then,
an unfortunate number of weak and underpaid officials in foreign
governments, and impoverished peasants, will resort to becoming involved in
the drug trade.
		One individual in the Mexican government does not constitute the whole.
Let's put the blame squarely where in belongs, on our administration and
people of the United States and Europe who have an insatiable appetite for
drugs  not on the government of President Ernesto Zedillo and the people
of Mexico.
				Jose P. BransfordFlores
				San Francisco

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