High-Profile Prosecutor to Run Against Clinton
By PATRICK D. HEALY

Encouraged by New York Republican leaders and some White House officials, Jeanine F. Pirro, the charismatic Westchester County district attorney, announced yesterday that she would challenge Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton next year, and immediately accused Mrs. Clinton of using her post as a steppingstone to the presidency.

That last article seems to make some very good points! One thing I might add is that even if they were to legalize drugs such as meth, marijuana, or even coke/crack, I doubt that you would see much of an increase in useage (at least that is my opinion). I say this because even if all that stuff were legal and available tomorrow, I would not bother messing with it because it is not my thing.

Just to use the example of alcohol. There are many, many different types of adult beverages that are freely available. However, I only like to drink beer imported from Germany (where I lived for a number of years) - and that is only a couple times a month. I do not drink hard liquor (except for an occassional gin & tonic), and I rarely drink wine.

While there are some people that go overboard and drink everything in sight, the vast majority of people use alcohol responsibly, Some even choose not to partake at all. And of course, there is the danger of young people wanting to experiment and try new things without fully understanding the dangers involved.

It seems to me that this so-called War on Drugs has been a complete waste of time and money. Drugs are as easy to get now as they have ever been, yet the costs to society (and the taxpayers) just keep on growing with no end in sight.

Maybe you could tell the hundreds of children in foster homes who have been removed by CPS because their parents can't use meth "responsibly" that it is something else that caused their problems.

We had a mother in court for a permanency hearing the other day telling the judge that she could not travel 45 miles to participate in services because of lack of money for gas, but yet she also admitted that if she were given a drug test, it would be positive for cocaine. I have not met up with many people who had a free source for cocaine.

Drugs cause people to lie, cheat, steal, and worse. Some are worse than others, but all have detrimental effects on those who use, their families, and our society. I have seen this from both sides of the bar (no pun intended).

Wouldn't you like to look up and see the truck driver next to you going south on I35 and know this was the the book he read and followed!!

"I'd rather be driving next to a truck driver on speed than a truck driver who's falling sleep."

"Nor is meth diabolically addictive."

We had a senator in Texas state that meth is a local north Texas problem. What part of Texas is meth not a problem? There sure seems to be an indication that this problem is nation wide now. Is this a media created problem? In my counties, meth has been responsible for several other crimes along with jail overcrowding for the last 5 years. Parole doesn't seem to think they are a big threat. 20 years gets you 22 months. Now we have the addition of crystal meth that causes even more problems. I don't know what the answer is but we continue to have the problem. Regulating tablets is a good first step.
Where do you find these people John? They don't live in the real world.

I will tell you, when I was in law school, I thought quite differently than I do today. Most of my professors were quite liberal and spoke much as Mr. Foster speaks in his postings. In hindsight, I believe my opinions back then were largely the echo of the opinions of those around me.

That is largely because I had no personal experience in seeing the consequences of drugs. I had only the theoretical musings of professors.

Once you mix a little reality into your thinking, things may change.

Let us hope, for his sake as well as for ours, that Mr. Foster does not plan on taking up the prosecution side of things.

I wouldn't worry. As I said, I would not have sounded at all like prosecutor material in law school or soon thereafter. It takes awhile to shed the easy opinions one adopts from others and to form your own. Bring it on, Mr. Foster. We appreciate the opportunity to hear from you.

John's comment on how facing the real world tends to change one's views reminded me of a friend who attended Texas Tech Law School and upon graduation, went to work as a civil ADA in Lubbock County. Her primary job was SAPCR cases where they parental rights based on abuse. When my friend entered law school she was an ACLU-type all the way. After one year in the Lubbock County DA's office, she had gone 180 degrees the opposite direction because she had received an up close and personal look at what parents can do to their kids.

Janette Ansolabehere

You really need to experience an 8 year old brother's guilt when he leaves his dead baby brother home alone with the 3 year old because he had a Valentine's party to attend. Both parents were out of town getting high at a crack house.Tell him we should make it legal.

Ms. Pirro is about as right as one can be and still be electable in NY. She certainly has a reputation as a no-nonsense crime fighter and a fiscal conservative. Look for a truce early on as to the respective spouces (spice?). Mr. Pirro has been a problem in the past.