Pubdate: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 Source: Kansas City Star (MO) Copyright: 2001 The Kansas City Star Contact: http://www.kcstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/221 Author: Greg Bacon FORGET DRUG WAR Thanks to The Star story on what crimes the FBI and other federal agencies have been dedicating resources to (12/4, A-5), what was once a suspicion is now fact. And that fact is that the various intelligence agencies and their comrades in arms at the state level have squandered precious resources chasing pot smokers in their never-ending "war on drugs." Can we finally have a sane discussion about whether we want the federal government to chase after pot heads or to go after the terrorists and mass murderers that use jetliners for bombs? Or would you prefer to stick with the obsolete and discriminatory practices that now incarcerate tens of thousands of Americans for every bloodthirsty terrorist? I for one want the feds to go after the true bad guys who have sworn to kill as many Americans as they can and not use finite resources to chase after adults in the comfort of their homes. Or we can let the federal government continue to further eviscerate the Bill of Rights in the "war on drugs" while bin Laden and his ilk play havoc with people's lives. Greg Bacon Columbia - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart