Willie Nelson's marijuana charges drive home the point of how ridiculous the war on drugs has become (Peach Buzz, Living, Sept. 20).

"Zero tolerance," "mandatory minimum" and "the largest prison population in the history of all civilization" become little more than political catchphrases when they apply to family. Even hard-core conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh (opiate abuse), Jeb Bush (daughter - -- stimulants abuse) and Randy "Duke" Cunningham (son -- marijuana import) become reasonably soft on crime when their families' values are audited.

It is high time that we ask ourselves why we build countless prisons to house zero-threat citizens.

Ted Pettus

Atlanta

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