Pubdate: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 Source: Clearwater Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Clearwater Times Contact: http://www.clearwatertimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1448 Author: Robert Taylor DRUG DEALER SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED TO THE INNOCENT Editor, The Times: Re: Stop the War on Drugs, Nov. 12, 2001 I agree with the letter to the editor from Alan Randell that the war on drugs is a failure. That begs the question of if it should be fought or not, and how. It may be a main source of funds for terrorists, but he will have to define terrorist. If it is unconstitutional I am sure it will be fought in the courts. I doubt it is designed by the state "to ruin the lives of the innocent few who happen to enjoy certain drugs." I think the war on drugs is misdirected. Distinctions should be drawn between users and pushers, the type of drug and the age of the people involved. An adult committing crime to feed a crack habit needs serious medical help, not incarceration. A youth smoking pot behind the shed needs discipline and correction. I have heard anecdotal stories only, but is it fair that students be suspended from school for having pot while the adults supplier faces no consequences? I draw distinctions between dealers as well. Selling pot to adults, for me, is not a problem. I would prefer to see it legalized and taxed rather than spending tax money searching for plantations and charging the growers. It is like prohibition of alcohol in the States. A criminal element gets involved, the product is unregulated and potentially dangerous, money is spent by the state trying to stop it when it could be regulating and taxing it. Selling hard drugs is another case entirely. These drugs will ruin lives. Users will commit desperate acts to feed their habits. They overdose and die. People who deal hard drugs should not be tolerated. They are taking advantage of people's weaknesses and vulnerabilities for their own profit. They drain off everything the addict has worked for and supply them with substances that will kill them. The pushers know this and they don't care. They don't care about the people they sell drugs to, they don't care about me, you or any of our children. So, I wonder if Mr. Randell's analogies are not misdirected. Who is ruining lives? Who are the innocent few? I would not continue his analogy to suggest that anyone should be hung, lynched or gassed, as it would be an affront to the memories of the "witches ... blacks ... (and) Jews" to group them with people dealing hard drugs. A more accurate analogy might be that a crack dealer gets his victim to come to him, remove his own gold teeth and pay to go to the oven. The Nazis had to round the innocent up, murder them and remove their gold fillings last. Robert Taylor Clearwater, B.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth