To the Editor: Eric Schlosser's freedom to publicly criticize the government's war on marijuana is at the core of the constitutional protection of free speech. Unfortunately, thoughtful critiques such as his may soon be effectively outlawed in many public places. On Wednesday, a federal court in Washington heard a challenge to a law that cancels all federal financing to transit authorities that display ads promoting reform of marijuana laws. Evidently, criticisms of marijuana policy are so threatening to the government that it has resorted to enacting laws that blatantly trample our First Amendment rights. [continues 67 words]
President Bush's goal of reducing national drug use, while ambitious, once again highlights the chasm between White House rhetoric and reality ("Bush plans hit on drug abuse: White House goal is to reduce 'crisis' by 25% in five years," News, Wednesday). In his speech, the president trumpeted his plan to "aggressively promote drug treatment." His budget, however, favors interdiction over treatment, with a funding disparity of more than 7 to 1. Actions speak louder than words. While the president was outlining his "compassionate" drug policy, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Asa Hutchinson, had dispatched his agents to raid several cooperatives that provide safe, reliable supplies of medical marijuana to seriously ill patients throughout California. [continues 88 words]
The "war on drugs" began as a rhetorical flourish used by Richard Nixon to contrast his tough stand on crime with LBJ's "war on poverty." But as the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations poured billions of dollars into fighting drugs, the slogan slipped the reins of metaphor to become just a plain old war - with an army (DEA), an enemy (profiled minorities, the poor, the cities), a budget ($17.8 billion), and a shibboleth (the children). As in any war, our political leaders have asked us citizens to make some sacrifices for this higher cause. When George Bush entered office, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 62 percent of Americans "would be willing to give up a few of the freedoms we have" for the war effort. The have gotten their wish. Initially applied only to the buyers and sellers of drugs, exceptions to our fundamental rights have been quickly enlarged to include every one of us. Bill Clinton's legacy is not the drug-free zone he wanted but a moth-eaten Bill of Rights. [continues 1998 words]
