The Editor of the Times Colonist wrote an article favouring our position. I wrote a letter in support of her which they did not print. Now she has been shot down by a local prohibitionist whose article was printed in the Times Colonist. This provoked me to write another letter to the paper which they may not print. I may send you a copy if I can get the computer to do it.

Ken Lane's article "Simplistic solutions to illicit drugs won't solve the problem" supposes that the problem is drug abuse, but there is a much more serious problem which he ignores. It is police who tell lies pretending to want or to sell a prohibited substance in order to make an arrest. This is the real problem, and beside it drug abuse pales into insignificance. Dishonest police also undermines respect for government.

The real answer to drug abuse is self respect. But self respect has been abandoned as means of control in the twentieth century. The law enforcement approach relies on the opposite to solve the problem -- humiliation, fines, and prison. This perpetuates the problem. It is not a solution.

We hear a lot about Holland being soft on drugs, but the Dutch have not made the individual responsible for his drug use, they have merely reduced penalties for marijuana. Compare the use of marijuana today with its use before there were laws against it. Compare the use of tobacco today with the use of tobacco before anyone knew it was harmful. Make the individual responsible for his or her drug use and feed true information about substances. Then we will trust the government because the government will trust us.