It seems that the war on drugs has escalated since the passage of the
federal forfeiture laws and other financial incentives designed to induce
local law enforcement to act against drug offenders. While the idea of
legalizing hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin is of debatable merit, we
should decriminalize marijuana. Because drug legalization is unlikely to
happen any time soon, other measures should be taken to lessen the impact
of this immoral war.

Federal forfeiture laws ought to be abolished, as they make it too
appealing for police agencies to abuse the law. We should do away with
mandatory minimums, which make it impossible for a judge to consider
extenuating circumstances or the relative gravity of each crime.

Brian Rogers
Grove City, Ohio