Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 10:36:36 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199903191536.KAA00057@belmonte.ne.mediaone.net>
From: belmonte@mit.edu (Matthew Belmonte)
To: CapuanoHR8@aol.com
Subject: support HR 939

Dear Representative Capuano:

I write as your constituent to express my support for HR 939, introduced by
Charles Rangel, which would eliminate the disparity in sentencing between drug
crimes involving crack cocaine and those involving powder cocaine.  In April
1995, the United States Sentencing Commission recommended that the current
100-to-1 ratio of longer sentences for crack cocaine be eliminated.  Since
African Americans who abuse cocaine tend to use the crack form, while
caucasian Americans tend to use the powder form, the current sentencing
structure systematically targets African Americans.  A vote in favour of this
bill would not be a vote condoning the use of cocaine -- rather, it would be a
vote to give all cocaine offenders equal punishment for equal infractions.