Pubdate: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph (WV) Copyright: 2001 Bluefield Daily Telegraph Contact: http://www.bdtonline.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1483 Author: Chris Wright PROHIBITION WON'T STOP ADDICTION Re: "Christians Must Join Fight Against Drug Addiction," Wednesday, July 18: Letter to the editor writer Beulah Shortridge called on Christians to "band together and continue to petition God for direction in this matter." Ms. Shortridge also said, "Those who deal in drugs and supply this 'living death' to our people must be stopped!" Fighting addiction is different than stopping people who deal in drugs. Alcohol prohibition did nothing to fight addiction, just as narcotics prohibition has failed to prevent addicts from becoming addicted. However, if we band together and target all the money raised in taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and regulated narcotics, perhaps we can allow the addicts to pay for their own treatment. With the money raised for the purpose of reducing the harm these drugs cause and by urging the public, based on legitimate health risks, rather than scare tactics, to refrain from self destructive behavior we can maximize public safety. The liquor store owner should not be stopped, drug dealing under prohibition can't be stopped, but, prohibition can be stopped. Instead of criminal regulation, the most destructive of all, why not have public regulation as we now have for liquor and tobacco. Those who believe in the Judeo-Christian ethic "Love thy neighbor as thyself" would never believe that prohibition was loving if it subsidized criminals, destroyed public safety, created gangsterism, fostered racism, undermined the bill of rights, overcrowded the prisons, and overburdened the courts. Besides, if you can't keep drugs out of prison, how are you going to keep it off the street corner without a tyranny more oppressive than prison itself? Prohibition isn't about love, Christianity, or public safety. It's about hate. Chris Wright Minneapolis, Minn. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom