Not Everyone Is Laughing at Bush’s ‘Fun’

Re “Did the Young Bush Have Fun? You Betcha, and Most Voters Forgive Him,” Commentary, Sept. 15: Writer Lee Aitken tells us that “George Bush is a liar, a hypocrite and a global menace, but not because he allegedly smoked some dope at Yale.” On what authority does he say this when there have been studies that indicate that using drugs may stunt the development of growing young brains? Bush’s inability to speak coherently at times, his lack of curiosity and his ignorance of what is going on in the world (resulting in his need to have his “Vulcans” make every important decision for him) should make one wonder if he did escape unscathed from his alleged drug use.

James R. Gallagher

Huntington Beach

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I would be more inclined to overlook the president’s history of alleged drug use if he did not support the so-called war on drugs. If Bush’s past drug use is not a big deal, then why have so many suffered for offenses similar to his? Countless lives have been ruined by mandatory minimum sentencing.

Sterling Harris

Long Beach

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I don’t condemn Bush for trying drugs or doing some drinking in his (long-lived) youth -- though his and Vice President Dick Cheney’s DUIs are harder to forgive. My problem is that they have all this fun, call it youthful indiscretion, then turn right around and jump on their moral high horse and trumpet a conservative position on family values and the war on drugs. It’s the utter hypocrisy that’s so galling, not the behavior.

James Underdown

Los Angeles