Letters

From the March 2004 issue

(Page 4 of 4)

I'll say. He certainly hasn't struck the Libertarian Party that way. In fact, the L.P. found Barr's record in Congress to be so odious that it specifically -- and successfully -- targeted him for defeat in his most recent race. I do not dispute Walker's claim that Barr has done his share on behalf of civil liberties. Unfortunately, I also have been forced to conclude at this point that his cheerleading for the drug war has been so vociferous and so relentless that it more than cancels out whatever good he has done.

Like many conservatives, Barr clearly believes that there should be a "drug exception" to the Constitution and Bill of Rights and that this exception can somehow be codified in laws that mete out punishment to (illicit) drug users and traffickers with draconian efficiency while leaving everyone else free to go about their business. It's a big lie and always has been. That Barr believes it so passionately, even as he talks up liberty and occasionally fights on its side, may make him an interesting tragic figure. But a civil libertarian? No. Sorry, but no.

Ethan Straffin
Palo Alto, CA