by William J. Bennett

About the author: William J. Bennett was the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George Bush and is co-chairman of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

In 2001, President George W. Bush announced the nomination of John P. Walters to serve as the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The drug czar is being asked to lead the nation’s war on illegal drugs at a time when many are urging surrender.

The forms of surrender are manifold: Buzzwords like “harm reduction” are crowding out clear no-use messages. State initiatives promoting “medical marijuana” are little more than thinly veiled legalization efforts (as underscored by the May 2001 8-0 Supreme Court ruling against medical exceptions). The 2001 film &ldquo...