Letters to the Editor

THC is available

The active ingredient in marijuana was isolated, about 40 years ago. It is chemically named delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or more simply THC. Shortly thereafter, it was reproduced in a lab and then it became commercially available as "Marinol," in pill form. Marinol has been available for 25 years yet we don't ever hear or read that fact in the liberal media.

In a very detailed article in the December 2004 issue of "Scientific American," it was demonstrated that we know how THC works, where it works and why it works. The pill form does exactly the same as the smoked form.

No needy patient would be shorted. It is expensive. But, consider the cost of overseeing the growing and storing of marijuana. Someone has to travel all over the state, keep records etc. It would be simpler to get the prescription from the doctor, go to the drug store and pick up the pills. All this could be done over the Internet in a small office. The state could subsidize the pills' cost at a much lower cost to the taxpayers. Rep. Ron Erickson's push to broaden the availability of grown marijuana is absolutely unnecessary in this day and age.

Wm. Wise, M.D.

10 Wallace Road

Clancy

Preserve life

Autumn Coleman writes in your Jan. 26 issue, celebrating Roe v. Wade; she appeals to progress, privacy, individualism, reproductive rights and all valid ideas of intrinsic worth. I would venture to say, her perspective needs more experience, is not wide, deep, nor long enough.

From her letter, I would guess she's never had a child in her womb. For instance, the woman who took Roe v. Wade to the Supreme Court, has been publicly campaigning for its overturn for more than 20 years, probably least because she admittedly lied her pregnancy was from gang rape.

Autumn was once a child, with parents and grandparents, etc. Does this reflection remember back to the source of this fragile gift of life, of loved ones, of sight, taste, touch, the gift of Montana and engender gratitude?

While it might be a private, individual responsibility to keep alive this spiritual intelligence in our world of collective unreason, mass conflict and mass extermination (45 million "abortions" in the U.S. since 1973), it's the private individual's responsibility to carry this memory into the community with Isaiah's words; "do not stand idly by while your neighbor is being murdered."

Dennis Sullivan

102 Spenser

Stop the killing

What a heart-wounding scene when one turns on the evening news and is exposed to the sight of a school in Baghdad reduced to a heap of rubble after being repeatedly hit by mortar fire.

How can anyone look at a child and see them as an object that must be destroyed? It is difficult -- No! -- impossible to conceive how a human heart could contain such a large amount of hate.

What must a parent think when there is a knock on the door, and in that moment their world comes to a grinding halt with the news that their child, the love of their life, is dead?

Such killings must come to a stop. I have no idea as to how they can be stopped , I am only a carpenter with a limited education, but there has to be, there must be someone somewhere in this world that has the solution, to halt this killing of innocent children. Whoever that person, or persons are I pray that you will step forward and halt this slaughter, this senseless and brutal slaying of innocent children, who after all are the future of our world. Please step forward now!

Robert Irving Sr.

1527 Cole Ave.

Iraq history

What could we gain by establishing Iraq's new government? It was first known as Mesopotamia, an advanced civilization existed by 4000 B.C. After 2000 B.C., the land became the center of Babylonian and Assyrian empires.

Mesopotamia was conquered by Cyrus the Great in 538 B.C. and by Alexander in 331 B.C. Baghdad became the capital in 637-640 A.D. after an Arab conquest.

Mongols cruelly pillaged the county in 1258 and during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries Turkish-Persian countries dominated ending with direct Turkish rule in 1831. The British in World War I was given a mandate over the area and renamed the country Iraq. In 1932, the monarchy achieved full independence. Britain again occupied Iraq in World War II because of its pro-Axis stance. In 1964, a new constitution was adopted, which lasted four years until July 1968. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran. It is estimated 1.5 million people lost their lives during the eight year war, poison gas was used by both countries. This is just part of Iraq's history. Source: Time Almanac.

Iraq is a country that survives -- even if it loses it wins. Again this nation has existed for 4000 years. Bring the troops home.

Stan Thurston

2510 Ferndale Lane #13

Now a sales tax?

We just had an open space tax levied upon us, not by vote by by property owner failure to mail in a postcard that had to be signed just right. Now the legislators want again to impose a sales tax upon us. I find it humorous that we the people don't know whats good for us, so they want to ask us again like a child would their parent over rand over again until they might say yes, if we can have that sales tax! Lets see, Federal income tax, State income tax, property tax, OPEN SPACE tax and now a local sales tax. Wake up people of Helena and see what is happening to you. I have a brother who lives in Washington state and they do have a sales tax, BUT, they don't have a state income tax. He would have had to buy close to 49 thousand dollars of merchandise just to come close to what we paid in state taxes. The alarm has just gone off ... speak up or be taxed into oblivian people!

Greg Paull

2036 Jerome Place