The War on Drugs: Unintended Consequences
Tom Vannah wrote an excellent analysis regarding the Bay State's new law reducing the penalties for simple possession of marijuana ["The Pot Test," Nov. 13, 2008]. He wondered about why law enforcement and others would spread false information. I suggest he follow the money. My profession, police, knows that without prohibition policies towards some drugs, crime would be cut dramatically, thus reducing the need for detectives and prison guards. Paychecks and overtime are huge incentives for the law enforcement community to resist repealing prohibition laws.
Officer Howard J. Wooldridge (retired)
Education Specialist, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition?
Washington, D.C.
Since the election, I have seen numerous elderly black men and women reminisce about their days sitting in jail cells in the 1960s, as part of the civil rights movement.
That legacy has been fulfilled. Another remnant of that time, however, is the earnest pursuit of the "Drug War" by all levels of government. That evil continues to fill jail cells till this day—also disproportionately with members of minority groups.
After the passage of Question Two in Massachusetts, perhaps the next battleground will be the similar measure proposed at the federal level by Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul. I hope everyone will urge John Olver and Richard Neal to sign onto this bill as co-sponsors in the new Congress.
Terry Franklin
Amherst
Neither Party Cares About Workers
Tom Vannah ["Time Out," Nov. 20, 2008] is right about one thing: the system of two-worker families is having a bad effect on families. We are being driven back to the 1860s where people are working for bare necessities.
It is too bad that he did not have that brainstorm before election time because it would turn out that both major parties have supported policies which drive down wages.
Will Obama solve the problem? Most of Congress was re-elected without opposition, at least none that the media covered. They are the ones who make the laws and they are the ones who must set policy as well as ratify foreign treaties.
Robert Joseph Underwood
Springfield
