Pubdate: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 Source: Meriden Record-Journal, The (CT) Page: 14A Copyright: 1999, The Record-Journal Publishing Co. Contact: 11 CrownStreet, P.O. Box 915, Meriden, CT 06450 Fax: (203) 639-0210 Feedback: http://www.record-journal.com/rj/contacts/letters.html Website: http://www.record-journal.com/ Author: PAUL M. BISCHKE 'LEGALIZE IT' Editor: Drug czar Gen. Barry McCaffrey rightly observes the burgeoning of the U.S. prison population occurring under his Drug War regime (Donna Porstner's 4/3/99 article). He says that, unless we do something about it, it will rise further. There's a problem here. McCaffrey's a drug war hawk. He favors only measures that escalate coercion against those using politically incorrect pleasure drugs. Any response he marshals will lead inexorably to more millions of inmates. The whole drug-war system is corrupt and dishonest from the top down. Legalize it. Regulate it. Disseminate factual information about drugs (not the familiar propaganda). Treat true addicts. And throw out the political bums who keep ratcheting up the prison population. Start with Gen. McCaffrey. PAUL M. BISCHKE St. Paul, Minnesota - --- MAP posted-by: Patrick Henry