To the editor:
I have seen how poor kids get screwed by our legal system. As pot stores open around the county, adult users who know the rules will enjoy themselves while underage kids, especially low-income and minority boys, will be further screwed. With expanded access to what will still be for them an illegal substance, they will get in more trouble, unable to navigate what law refers to what age and state, etc. Their future prospects will be at the mercy of the district attorney.
I will be voting for Andrea Harrington on Sept. 4 because, as she climbs the steep learning curve of managing a DA’s office, she will have those kids in mind. She and I once shared office space, and she was my right-hand volunteer and fundraiser the year I started the Crocus Fund, which sponsors low-income children’s participation in summer camp. Andrea cares about other people’s families as deeply as she does her own. I listened to her on the phone, doggedly advocating for clients for whom it seemed she was their only friend in the world. She did hard, unglamorous work for our least connected citizens with compassion, a keen mind and grit.
Sheela Clary
Housatonic
