Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 Source: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram (WI) Copyright: 2002 Eau Claire Press Contact: http://www.leadertelegram.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/236 Author: Dave Michon Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism) DON'T PERSECUTE DRUG USERS I take strong exception to Harold Davis' Christmas letter equating drug use with terrorism. Some are using the recent horrors to settle their own scores, and I find it reprehensible. In fighting terrorism, we fight a concerted effort to impose medieval fundamentalism on our free society. On the whole, our society finds the world of the Taliban, with it's repression and hatred, anathema. Ostracizing certain small classes of our society, such as those who, for their own reasons, use drugs, is only doing the advance work for the terrorists by seeding intolerance. The neurosciences are beginning to reveal the secrets of the brain, so we will in coming years better understand the phenomena of drug use. When that time comes, those who have advocated the repression and incarceration of drug users will be seen for the misanthropes they are, and they will be classed with the Taliban, witch trials, Inquisition and all the other examples of mankind's inhumanity to man. To print such a letter as Mr. Davis' on the birthday of He who preached compassion and love was very wrong, and I call on all good people to reject it. DAVE MICHON Eau Claire - --- MAP posted-by: Josh