Pubdate: Sun, 28 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#
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n121.a04.html

SHAVER RESPONDS

To The Editor:

The Letter to the Editor Jan. 21 by Mr. Seguin was also long on propaganda 
as all his many letters are on legalizing drugs.  The numbers I used in my 
letter were the numbers Clinton's drug war used in his last news briefing 
on TV.  If you wish to argue his numbers go ahead I am not.

Another thing is whether my numbers are right or you numbers are right 
16,000 or 42,000 a year of deaths due to illegal drugs are totally 
unacceptable to me.  Although they must be acceptable to you because you 
advocate legalizing drugs which will in all likelihood increase these 
deaths tenfold or more, that is why legalizing drugs is not an option to me.

I see Mr, Seguin's letters to the editor on legalizing drugs and I have to 
wonder how anyone in their right mind would want to unleash such misery on 
the American people.  Since I wrote my last letter to the editor I viewed 
two documentaries on illegal drugs on TV.  One documentary dealt with women 
prostituting their bodies to get money for their drugs.  One prostitute was 
eight months pregnant and still shooting heroin into her body.  She was 
also still out on the streets working for the money to buy her drugs.  This 
woman had five other children, all of which were taken from her, at birth; 
because she tested positive for drugs, at the time of their birth.  It was 
a blessing these children were taken from her, this woman could barely 
function on her own.  It was obvious her brain cells were fried from all 
the illegal drugs she had taken.  The documentaries also dealt with 
teenagers being hooked on heroin.  What a mess their lives are now, that is 
if you can call what they're doing living.  The documentaries dealt with 
the fact the cheap heroin on the streets is causing the epidemic of drug 
addiction amongst teenagers today.  The documentary also gave the 
percentage of heroin addicts that are able to kick the habit.  It's about 
one percent and many of them are on a maintenance drug.

Marijuana should never be legalized, it's nothing more then a starter drug 
for most addicts.  It's also the starter drug in the legal arena, first 
marijuana then whatever drug the advocates can get legalized next.

What would life be like in America today if drugs were legal?  Would you 
want to have dealings with any of the following people if they were on 
drugs or coming off of drugs?  Your airplane pilot, you doctor or surgeon, 
bus driver, subway or train engineer.  How about the fellow driving down 
the road at you' while you're driving your car down the highway.

Mr. Seguin and other drug advocates would lead us to believe that 
legalizing drugs is the answer.  I believe legalizing drugs is nothing more 
then legalizing chaos and death by drugs.  I wonder what life would be like 
today without the distraction, corruption and destruction of illegal 
drugs.  I can't help but think life would be much better, and America would 
be a lot less violent, and a great place to live.

Keith Shaver Ogdensburg, NY
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