To the editor:

Our family has read with great interest developments surrounding the proposed ordinance moving prosecution of marijuana users from district court to municipal court.

Interesting, too, are efforts by some city commissioners to alleviate minimum fines under a new ordinance for these drug offenders. Seemingly, the Kansas Drug Policy Forum and some commissioners seek to minimize the consequences for law-breakers. Attempts to validate this move by citing the existence of a similar ordinance in Columbia, Mo., bears no value or validity. City officials in Columbia clearly made a poor decision.

Comments by certain members of the Kansas Drug Policy Forum quoted in a Journal-World article of Oct. 26, opposing establishment of any minimum fine or enforcement of a new ordinance reveal their true motives. Though the rhetoric we’ve heard indicates a desire to remove the “burden” of “trivial cases” of first-time drug offenders from our district courts, their position indicates it is really a desire to see marijuana decriminalized.

How can this community rationalize this ordinance while our schools seek to educate our children about the dangers of drug and alcohol use and abuse? Would we choose to send a message to our children that as a community we wink at those dangers by minimizing the consequences of such offenders? Which is it? Are we seeking to change the law for the safety of our community or are we bowing to special interest groups that wish to promote drug use in our community? To our commissioners: Just say no!

Bob and Amy Zook,

Lawrence