One Less Voice for Drug Reform

The Rev. Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral, who signed a petition urging reform of the nation’s drug laws but later withdrew, had it right the first time. It’s too bad he backed out, saying his position was too easily misunderstood.

Like many other thoughtful Americans who see a need for better anti-drug policies, Schuller does not agree with legalization advocates, and he did not want to be mistakenly allied with them. The petition was drafted specifically to be inclusive, and it conspicuously took no advocacy position on legalization. Indeed, legalization clearly is not the answer.

There was real value in having a conservative minister with a huge television following on the lengthening list of prominent people who agree that the nation’s drug policies are not working and are badly in need of revision. Basically that’s what the petition said.

One organizer of the drive, Orange County Superior Court Judge James P. Gray, has advocated what he calls “regulated distribution” as a way of tackling a problem that is out of control. However, Gray has taken enough flak on the talk show circuit to recognize that many people passionately disagree with him.

Sadly, the situation suggests the difficulty of getting a diverse group of opinion leaders to join in any statement about a complex problem. The drug issue cannot be successfully reduced to sound bites, and the media-savvy Schuller recognized a potential for his concerns to be misread in the hullabaloo over legalization.

So Schuller has retreated, preferring instead to continue supporting several other anti-drug groups. But even if one valuable voice has been lost, the chorus of those who say that existing interdiction policies are bankrupt undoubtedly will continue to grow.