Editor:

I was downright shocked when I read this letter from Kathy Galbraith which
suggested legalizing marijuana. Where will it end?

Sure, maybe it might help relieve some pain for a little while, but I'm
sure that a bullet will relieve pain too. We must not only consider the
pros, but also, and probably more importantly, the cons.

DDT did a tremendous amount of good for the farmers too. In fact, it was a
miracle chemical. But, it was later revealed that it left some very nasty
side effects on the eco-system.

If marijuana is legalized, the flow of pot would be even greater than it is
now. This would greatly increase the chances of more children getting
their hands on this drug, and this is the last thing that society needs.

It all starts with pot, and then next, after a little 'high' , they want to
try some magic mushrooms. Next, (since mushrooms were such a thrill), they
want to try acid, and soon enough, they try some cocaine. We can all guess
what happens after this. (Don't try to tell me that this doesn't happen,
because I have been there, and seen it.)

It scares me when people come up with such crazy ideas like legalizing
marijuana. Are people really so naieve? Don't they know what it is like
out there already?

Maybe go out at night a little more, interview some teens, ask them with
which drug they started, and where they are now. Find out if they have a
job, or if they are still in school. It is no wonder the crime rate is
going up, why teens have such bad publicity, why such a small number of
teens living in the cities have jobs, etc.

So, is it worthwhile to decrease somebody's pain using marijuana while
giving some younger people a much better chance of getting their hands on
this drug? I think not.

John Van Liere