Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jun 2000
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: +61-(0)2-9282 3492
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/
Author: Ray Aldridge

BAD EXAMPLE

Peter Maresch (Letters, June 19) said: "There is no logical argument 
against tightening law enforcement on drugs." Mr Maresch hasn't been paying 
attention. The "logical argument" against harsher laws is that they simply 
don't work. In mainland China, drug dealers are punished with a bullet in 
the back of the neck. But drug addiction in China is increasing at a 
tremendous rate, in spite of this brutality.

I write in the hope that Australians will not go stupidly down the road my 
country took. America has a greater percentage of our citizens in prison 
than any other developed nation, along with high rates of drug abuse and 
violence. We suffer from ever-increasing official corruption, and steadily 
diminishing personal liberty. Harsh laws have been a disaster for us. 
Please, learn from our unfortunate example.

Ray Aldridge, Walton Beach, Fl (US).
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