In the ongoing grudge match between liberal and conservative icons, there is little room for sympathy. On Saturday, award-winning film director and progressive liberal Michael Moore gave a sold-out speech at the University’s Sports Pavilion. Interestingly, amid sympathizing with University strikers and the many victims of President George W. Bush’s doctrine, Moore showed little sympathy for diametrically opposed Rush Limbaugh and his admitted drug problem.

In the press conference held before his speech, Moore addressed a question about Limbaugh’s admitted addiction by saying Limbaugh was an “ugly, mean-spirited bastard” who was the “leading hate speech advocate of the past decade. … He’s an absolute hypocrite who was one of the leading generals to lock thousands of Americans up simply because they’re addicted to drugs.” Later, during his speech, Moore said the United States should take care of Limbaugh by “stuffing him in a cell and stuffing drugs down his throat.”

Although Moore’s comments during his speech bordered on tirade, his calling Limbaugh a hypocrite is right on; Limbaugh has been a leading proponent of harsh drug laws, a postion with which we disagree.

Costly prisons are overflowing with drug addicts while cost-effective treatment programs are underutilized, causing families to split up and careers to be lost. Effective drug treatment, rather than exile from society, should be the answer. The war on drugs is actually a war on those addicted to drugs. Of course, this does not apply if one happens to be privileged enough to skirt around prison sentences. Wealthy Limbaugh will obtain treatment while the not-so-fortunate others will spend their time in and out of prison.

The negative economic and social effects of the nation’s misguided and extremely flawed drug laws are enormous. Leaders should step up and demand revision of drug laws. Moore has already shouted his response, but Limbaugh has remained eerily quiet on drug law reformation.