Stop John Walters From Becoming 'Drug Czar'

John Walters is too divisive, too insensitive, and too extreme to be drug czar.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Vote Against John Walters

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to urge you to vote against John Walters as drug czar. Five Senators on the Judiciary Committee have found his record on civil rights and public health to be too extreme. A majority of Congressional Black Caucus Members have declared Walters, "unfit for a position that requires sensitivity to racial fairness." The President of the Betty Ford Center has warned, "Mrs. Ford and I are convinced that Mr. Walters may not have the confidence in the treatment and prevention strategies that we believe are necessary for the creation and implementation of a balanced and thoughtful approach to U.S. drug policy."

Organizations opposing the confirmation of John Walters, include AIDS Action, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, American College of Nurse-Midwives, California Legislative Council for Older Americans, Chicago Recovery Alliance, Latino Voters League, National Black Police Association, National Women's Health Network, Pesticide Action Network, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and Witness for Peace. Dozens of newspapers have raised concerns about John Walters, including: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Austin American-Statesman, Chicago Sun-Times, Albany Times Union, Tulsa World and Houston Chronicle.

At a time that our nation really needs leaders who can bring the American people together, Walters is too divisive, insensitive, and extreme to be an effective drug czar. Just six months ago Walters called it an "urban myth" that "the criminal justice system is unjustly punishing young black men...Neither is it true that the prison population is disproportionately made up of young black men." Even a cursory glance at the facts proves Walters is at odds with the truth.

Now more than ever we need a drug czar that can bring Americans together, compromise, address concerns of those negatively impacted by the drug war, and build consensus - Walters is simply the wrong person for the job. I urge you to vote against him.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
November 08, 2001


Background Information

President Bush has nominated John Walters to be our nation's next drug czar. At a time that public sentiment is rapidly shifting from a criminal justice approach to drug abuse towards a cheaper and more effective public health approach, Walters still believes we can arrest and spend our way out of the drug problem. Walters is an ardent drug warrior who supports harsh sentences for non-violent drug offenders, opposes meaningful drug treatment programs, and denies that racial disparities exist in the criminal justice system.