Little League kids paid bigger price than the cheating Patriots

Why is it that Jackie Robinson West was stripped of its Little League championship trophy but the New England Patriots are not being stripped of their Super Bowl trophy?

The Robinson kids played an honest game. The players abided by the rules. No one was on drugs, had a corked bat or won with an unfair call. The management (parents and coaches) did not play by the rules. The game itself was not affected.

But the Patriots themselves, the whole team and the coaches, took an unfair advantage by not playing by the rules. Apparently, they were unable to win the Super Bowl fairly. No matter, they still keep the trophy and the money. We’ll just sweep this one under the rug and hit them on the knuckles with a ruler, maybe fine them $5,000.

What’s the lesson here? Kids shouldn’t cheat but adults can?

Jackie Tinker, Des Plaines

Quick making minor drug busts

Regarding your May 5 editorial on arrests for small amounts of drugs:

If Cook County really wants to save money, they should stop arresting people for the victimless crime of possessing drugs. Drugs and drug prohibition are two very different things. Drug prohibition fosters crime, corruption and violence, but putting non-violent consumers behind bars with hardened criminals doesn’t help matters. Drug courts seek to divert non-violent drug offenders into treatment. Treatment is indeed cheaper than incarceration for taxpayers.

It’s cheaper still for government to mind its own business and leave adults who aren’t harming others alone. The drug war is ending and not everyone is happy about it. There is an effort underway to create a kinder, gentler drug war by marrying the for-profit prison industry to a growing for-profit treatment industry. This is an ominous development.

Robert Sharpe

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC

Fire the guy, Sheriff

Shouldn’t Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart fire and seek jail time for any employee who would intentionally keep $29,467 mistakenly paid for one day’s pay?

Champ Davis, Oak Brook