To the Daily:

I'm writing about Mike Eber's column earlier this week about subtle racism in our society (Is that just the way it is?, 11/12/2007). It's obvious that the so-called war on drugs is actually a war on certain people - politically-selected people, who happen to be black people.

Where is the outrage for these unfair drug laws? Where is the outrage from the black community? Where is outrage from black leaders? Where is the outrage from America? Where is the outrage from the rest of the world?

The whips and chains of slavery have been replaced with prison cages.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.

[end]

I am a Michigan resident and also a senior at American University in Washington D.C., a school I was accepted into largely because of my strong record for academics and pursuit of social justice at Gull Lake High School.

It is vital that members of this community understand how one of the teachers at Gull Lake contributed to my success. His name is Brett Johnson and he and his wife were recently convicted on criminal drug charges after they were found to be growing marijuana in their home. While I am not going to debate the laws on drug use and production at this time, I need to attest to the strength of Brett Johnson's character and his talent as a teacher.

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We were distressed to read of the conviction of teachers Brett and Keri Johnson on marijuana charges and to hear that this may result in the loss of their teacher certification and even their home. Whatever they may do in the privacy of their own home, their professionalism at Gull Lake High School cannot be questioned.

Hundreds of students have benefited from their teaching over the last 10 years. Our younger daughter, now a senior in college, regards Mr. Johnson as one of her most influential teachers. The Johnsons stood up for students who struggled to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at Gull Lake, and they did everything in their power to create a positive, accepting community.

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While arguing against the Civil Rights Act of 1875, Associate Justice Joseph Bradley of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote that granting equal access to black people in hotels and restaurants based on their race "would be running the slavery argument into the ground."

That sounds similar to the arguments I have heard about affirmative action. As much as Americans today would like to think that racism no longer exists, looking back at the older rationalizations against civil rights shows today's debate about affirmative action to be more of the same stuff.

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LANSING - Drug abuse can lead to criminal activity, but are the state's current drug laws too uncompromising?

Many convicted drug violators are non-violent, but they are lumped in with other criminals who harm people, critics of the present sentencing rules say.

But Rep. Paul Condino, D-Southfield, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wants to revamp the punishment for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Condino is working on legislation to divert marijuana offenders from prison into drug courts and programs where rehabilitation and court-mandated screenings attempt to treat drug users.

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My children have attended Gull Lake Community Schools their entire lives. I am proud of the level of education and quality of teachers we have in our district from pre-kindergarten through high school. I find it extremely sad we have lost two of the finest teachers at Gull Lake, Brett and Keri Johnson.

My oldest daughter graduated in 2004 and is a senior at American University in Washington, DC. Upon hearing a rumor from my younger daughter, who is a sophomore, that I relayed to my eldest daughter, she said she didn't think it could possibly be true.

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Regarding the Oct. 27 article, "Former Gull Lake teachers sentenced for growing pot," I don't know any more of the facts than what I read and I haven't heard any of the local gossip since my youngest child graduated from Gull Lake High School in 2002, but I was deeply saddened to hear about the legal troubles facing Brett and Keri Johnson.

Both of my children were students of Mr. Johnson's. My oldest child had Mr. Johnson when he was a student teacher at Gull Lake, and my youngest child had Mr. Johnson as an English teacher for several classes. They both liked him very much. I thought he was an excellent teacher, also.

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A question for Judge Pamela Lightvoet on the two Gull Lake teachers who lost their teaching jobs and who may no longer be able to afford their home after being convicted of growing cannabis for their personal consumption.

Do the people of Michigan have a say in the creation of the laws over which they preside as jurors? Are all juries able to discuss whether the law, as it is presented, is just or unjust?

If not, must the prosecuting attorney prove what the government has said about cannabis -- that its use will make one violent, will make one insane -- and if the prosecutor cannot show that the use of cannabis has caused these actions, must the jury find the accused innocent because the underlying premise is not correct?

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On Diag, Presidential Candidate Attacks U.S. Policy on Iran

Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Gravel said the Bush administration is lying to the American public and spoke out for the legalization of marijuana on the Diag on Friday afternoon.

He spoke to a crowd of about 150 people for nearly 15 minutes on the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library.

Gravel's entourage consisted of just one man holding an umbrella over the candidate. It wasn't raining.

Because Gravel has only raised $130,598, he is ineligible to participate in the next Democratic debate. His candidacy has drawn attention mostly for his incendiary and often angry remarks during the debates.

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Nolan Finley has good reason to blame drug prohibition for the violence plaguing Detroit streets. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. While U.S. politicians ignore the drug war's historical precedent, European countries are embracing harm reduction, a public health alternative based on the principle that both drug abuse and prohibition have the potential to cause harm. Examples of harm reduction include needle exchange programs to stop the spread of HIV, regulated marijuana sales aimed at separating the hard and soft drug markets, and treatment alternatives that do not require incarceration as a prerequisite.

Robert Sharpe

[end]

Thank you for Nolan Finley's Oct. 21st column, "Child killings challenge the drug war." I agree that legalizing drugs would take the profits and violence out of the drug trade. In addition, by legalizing drugs, the $100 billion drug industry becomes taxable. This would bring much needed revenue to our cash-strapped government. Finally the civil liberties and privacy we sacrificed in the name of the War on Drugs would be restored. This change is something that libertarians, fiscal conservatives and social liberals could agree on.

James Allison

Warren

[end]

As a retired police detective from Bath Township, Mich., I agree with Nolan Finley. My profession has spent a trillion dollars to arrest 38 million Americans on drug offenses and drugs are now cheaper, stronger and easier for our kids to find and buy. You have a drug problem? See a doctor.

Howard J. Wooldridge

Education Specialist

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Washington, D.C.

[end]

Programs That Put Offenders in Alcohol, Drug Therapy Instead of Jail Forced to Retrench.

DETROIT -- A runaway at 12 and a prostitute by 14, Felicia Donahue was desperate for a fresh start.

It wasn't until the 30-year-old woman was arrested -- seriously addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol -- that she got the chance.

A program at the 36th District Court in Detroit called Project Fresh Start that targets drug-addicted prostitutes put Donahue on the right path. Today she is sober, enrolled in community college and is preparing to move into her own apartment.

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KALAMAZOO -- High school teachers Brett and Keri Johnson were nervous about buying marijuana. So they set up a grow operation in their basement.

Until the police showed up on their doorstep in January.

Now the Johnsons have lost their jobs at Gull Lake High School; they have a felony drug record, and they're at risk of losing their teacher's certifications and their home.

The Johnsons, both 34, resigned from their jobs in August, the same month they pleaded guilty to manufacturing marijuana, a felony with a potential sentence of four years in prison.

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Take your pick of who to blame for the apparent drug-related execution of Alexus Eppinger, 9, and her five-year-old brother Terrance as they lay sleeping in a Detroit home last week. There are plenty of targets to choose from.

Maybe you blame their mother for not having the instincts God gives a goose to protect her children. That's cold, I know, since she was slain, too. I'm sure she loved her babies. But you have to do more than love children; you have to keep them from danger, and putting them to bed in a house known for drug activity is dangerous.

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"If you furnish any drugs to my kids, I'll kill you myself." Did I actually speak those words once upon a time? Did I mean what I said?

Back in the olden days when our kids were reaching high school age, we stumbled on a golden opportunity to caution them about illegal substances. Every kid needs a word of caution about drugs.

More than just a word of caution, every kid needs good reasons just to say, "NO!" And the reasons must come from parents.

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To the Editor:

I noticed that Roland Stoy's article "25 jail inmates set free due to overcrowding" contained a partial solution to the overcrowding problem.

Jail Administrator Fred Blankenship stated that in September there were 25 incarceration for possession and two for selling marijuana. He didn't mention a figure for probation violation involving failed drug tests for marijuana, but I would guess there are several. He also stated that usually marijuana bookings are double that of meth. I remember a summer not to long ago when motorcyclists in Branch County wore helmets at their own discretion, due to the actions or threatened inactions of a Branch County judge.

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Regarding your Sept. 23 editorial on addiction, the tough-on-some-drugs approach is part of the problem. Illegal drug users are reluctant to seek medical attention in the event of an overdose for fear of being charged with a crime. Attempting to save the life of a friend could result in a murder charge. Overzealous drug enforcement results in easily preventable deaths.

Rehabilitation also is confounded. I think it's safe to say that turnout at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings would be rather low if alcoholism were a crime pursued with zero tolerance zeal. Eliminating the penalties associated with illicit drug abuse would encourage the type of honest discussion necessary to facilitate rehabilitation and save lives.

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.

[end]

The problem of addiction is much easier to ignore than to confront. As a nation, we tend to marginalize those who fuel their bodies with drugs or alcohol. We're more inclined to show pity or disdain, rather than understanding. "Why can't they just stop?" we often ask, without really pursuing an answer.

But our society pays dearly for addiction in terms of broken lives, dysfunctional families, unproductive workplaces and unsafe streets.

Perhaps if we were willing to better understand the issue, we could make better progress in helping people recover.

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The Office of National Drug Control Policy is hosting the fifth regional summit of 2007 in Detroit, which is designed to persuade local educators and politicians to implement across-the-board random, suspicionless student drug testing. The Bush administration is selling a seductive premise: If you test students, they will finally, at long last, "just say no" to illegal drugs (or face being caught by a test).

While the simplicity of this theory can be appealing, this unproven policy actually runs counter to well-established principles of how educators and parents can best promote healthy choices among adolescents, particularly those most "at risk."

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