I'm afraid that the article on HB2181, the Exile law reform (Street Talk, March 26) was more than a bit misleading. Rather than "weaken" the law, and send it "teetering," the bill actually concentrates the penalties on the original target: dangerous behavior. "Possession" under the law does not mean "on your person"; it applies to anything, anywhere, which is "subject to his dominion and control." Current law sets exactly the same penalties for peaceful users as for the most dangerous, heavily armed pusher. A judge has no discretion once a case is brought; he must give exactly the same five-year penalty to a student who's been caught with one dose of cocaine, and has an antique hunting shotgun in his attic, as to the thug who's been wholesaling heroin and crack for years while carrying an arsenal and threatening to use it. The reform bill is a significant step toward justice. Roy B. Scherer Legislative Analyst Virginians Against Drug Violence [end]
Editor, Times-Dispatch: The headline for Joe Dombroski's Commentary column says, "Record Shows That Drug Legalization Is No Solution." He should be honest enough to admit that more than 60 years of failed experience show that drug illegalization is also no solution. Perhaps his perspective is flawed. It is his agency, after all, that recently terrorized a 14-year-old girl and shot her in the back of the head; it is his czar who went to Amsterdam and proceeded to lie about the crime and drug-use statistics of that country, forcing a retraction; and it is his agency that recently sent a letter that was full of distortions and outright lies about marijuana to all federal attorneys. [continues 179 words]
In Don Dale's otherwise fine article on Donahue ["Left Wanting," Arts & Culture, Aug. 7], he made one serious error. Clinton did not pardon Kemba Smith. He saved the pardons for people who stole money, fled the country and contributed really big bucks to campaign funds. Kemba, who had been caught up in a drug deal by her boyfriend and who didn't have any money, was not pardoned. Clinton merely commuted her sentence, after she had served years in the pen. She's still a felon. Roy B. Scherer [end]
Thank you for John Toivonen's fine article explaining how Gary Reams' Libertarian campaign for lieutenant governor will help to reform Virginia's marijuana laws ["Joint Referendum," June 26]. I do need to correct one error. The headline suggests that the purpose of the campaign is "to legalize pot." That's certainly one way to improve the current law, but it's not the goal of the Reams Reeferendum. We want the votes of every citizen who agrees that the law has gone too far and should be reformed. Once consensus is reached on that point, we can decide on specifics. [continues 77 words]
