Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 Date: 12/06/1998 Source: Halifax Daily News (Canada) Author: Eugene Hines To the editor: I am not surprised teens are turned off (Teens Turned Off By Drug-Search Ruling, The Sunday Daily News, Nov. 29.) At 51, I look over the society of Canadians and it is becoming patently obvious we are ever so gradually shifting toward fascism. This is becoming increasingly evident when you look at the powers the police have been given and the laws being passed that infringe on our human rights. The silly litany of "We don't want to give out the wrong message" the politicians keep pursuing is meaningless nonsense. I don't advocate drug use or alcohol use among the young, but it is a reality. The message is out there, but the politicians have not been listening while they pursue the lunatic policies of another nation. Prohibition has spawned all sorts of evil and corruption in our society, including some laws that do more damage to the youth and basic fabric of our society than one can believe. Look at what is happening in the U.S.A., where prohibition of alcohol in the 1930s certainly didn't work - as their prohibition and "war on drugs" doesn't work. The young people in our country who challenge the puritanical hypocrisy that surrounds this issue should be given a great deal of praise. Their parents should be proud of them. The parents in this country had better start thinking out of their box on this issue, because the country that we leave young people is going to be in one hell of a mess. Good luck to the youth of our country, and may they be victorious in their fight against those who are running the country down. It would seem the older generation has thrown in the towel. I'll keep writing letters until I am blue. Eugene Hines Via the Internet