Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

2-15-90 Thursday. George [Herbert Walker] Bush is in Colombia, South America to attend a drug conference. For many years Colombia has been the center of a thriving drug trade; it is considered the main source of cocaine, for example. The Colombian government is said to be under the control of huge drug cartels, one of which, Medallin (pronounced Med-a-YEEN), is so powerful that it has its own army, factories, and transportation system. Many of Bush’s advisors tried to discourage him from attending the drug conference on grounds that his life would be endangered. The Medallin cartel could easily kill him, and certainly has a motive for doing so since Bush has become the commander-in-chief of the so-called drug war. My only concern is that if Bush is killed or disabled, Dan Quayle—gasp!—will become president. That’s a scary thought. Naturally, liberals are having a field day with Bush’s visit. On the serious side, there is talk that Bush is overly concerned with the supply of cocaine. The supply, it is said, is fueled by a demand for the product in the United States and other developed nations. Critics say that until Americans lessen or stop their demand for cocaine, it is hypocritical for Bush and other public officials to try to reduce the supply. Just as the American colonies served as a source of tobacco for the British, Colombia and other South American countries serve as a source of cocaine for Americans. It’s an interesting argument. I just wish someone would address the justice of forbidding responsible adults to use cocaine or other mind-altering substances in the privacy of their homes. It may be stupid of them to do so (not to mention costly), but don’t people have a right to act stupidly as long as they aren’t harming anyone else?