Selective Enforcement of Drug Laws Is Issue

Your article, “Gonzo Time,” (April 23) on Hunter Thompson explains why the United States still has a terrible drug problem.

Thompson’s admiring lawyer complains that “Colorado has real nasty drug laws” because some drug counts might lead to jail time for the guilty. He also says, “The government loves to pick people off.” An admitted drug user, Thompson labels himself the “last dope fiend,” but his friends protest when his outrageous behavior and drug possession leads to his arrest.

Yes, I agree with one of his defenders, there are “serious issues at stake and ones that could set a dangerous precedent.” America has a terrible drug problem. People are dying and suffering because of it every day. Americans are indulging themselves and future generations will pay for their indulgences. But some people want selective enforcement of the drug laws. Arrest the other guys but not me or my friends. What a shortsighted, irresponsible attitude.

FLORENCE RICHARDS, Whittier