Pubdate: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Copyright: 1999 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Forum: http://www.sfgate.com/conferences/ Author: Myron Von Hollingsworth BEHIND THE DRUG WAR Editor -- In the October issue of High Times, Jello Biafra says it best when he says that the drug war is ethnic-cleansing American style. Maybe the politicians are required to adhere to the party line of prohibition because law enforcement, U.S. Customs, the prison industrial complex, the drug-testing industry, the INS, the CIA, the FBI, the DEA, the politicians themselves, et al, can't live without the budget justification, not to mention the invisible profits, bribery, corruption and forfeiture benefits that prohibition affords them. The drug war also promotes, justifies and perpetuates racist enforcement policies and is diminishing many freedoms and liberties that are supposed to be guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Myron Von Hollingsworth, Fort Worth, Texas - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D