Pubdate: Sun, 14 Jan 2001
Source: Ogdensburg Journal/Advance News (NY)
Copyright: 2001 St. Lawrence County Newspapers Corp
Address: P.O. Box 409, Ogdensburg, New York 13669
Website: http://www.ogd.com/
Author: Keith Shaver
NOTE: Accepts LTEs by mail only! Must be signed w/phone#

DRUG DEATHS

To The Editor:

The drug war must continue.  42,000 deaths by drugs a year demand it. 
This country would come apart at the seams if we were involved in a 
war in another country and 42,000 body bags were being shipped home 
every year.  Yet we still have those that promote legalizing drugs. 
That would be a big mistake.  In the entire Vietnam war, we lost 
roughly 57,000 brave servicemen and women.  At today's rate of deaths 
by drugs per year for the same amount of time as the Vietnam war 
lasted we would lose 546,000 Americans to death by drugs.  Then throw 
in the amount of felonies and murders committed by drug addicts to 
support their drug habits; these are very strong reasons to continue 
the drug war.

It's my belief that at least some of those that would have legalized 
drugs in this country, have more on their minds than the taxpayers 
dollars.

I haven't even mentioned the children of the addicts who suffer 
because of their parents addiction.  The abuse and the neglect in 
some case if it wasn't for their grandparents, they'd be in the 
street.  One of two things ends up happening to these children.  They 
either hate drugs, or they end up hooked. like their parents and the 
cycle is repeated.  More pain, more hardship, more wasted lives, this 
situation is not only bad for the family unit, but it's bad for the 
country,  The only upside with drugs is it's good for the hospitals 
and the funeral parlors.  To the ones who are still saying no, don't 
worry it will be good for you.  If more people keep saying no, it 
will be good for all of us, and our country,  As it is one in six 
Americans addicted to drugs is one in six too many.

This is to the addicts, get some help.  Clean up your act.  If you 
can't do it for yourself, do it for you loved ones,  If it just 
involved you, I might not be so caring, but it doesn't involve just 
you, it's your family, it's you community and your country. 
Remember, if you're not part of the solution, you are part of the 
problem.

Keith Shaver  Ogdensburg, NY
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