Pubdate: Thu, 13 Dec 2001
Source: Gazette, The (CO)
Copyright: 2001 The Gazette
Contact:  http://www.gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/876
Author: Colette Wright

ALCOHOL IS DANGEROUS - AND LEGAL

The comments by various officials about the stand of Libertarian Sheriff 
Bill Masters of San Miguel County on the Drug War remind me of a quote by 
Eugene V. Debs: "When great changes in history are involved, as a rule the 
majority are wrong. The minority are right" ("Sheriff scoffs at drug war," 
Metro, Dec. 10).

Gov. Bill Owens, El Paso County Sheriff John Anderson and U.S. Attorney 
John Suthers have helped build their political careers and state and local 
budgets off of the huge sums of tax money being spent in the so-called drug 
war. It cannot be argued that alcohol causes many times more deaths, family 
abuse and addiction, yet it is a legal substance. These officials' 
statements are disingenuous at best, political pandering and destructive to 
our society.

However, Masters pointed out the key issue when he stated that the 
diversion of $17.8 billion in funding for the drug war is funding that 
should be going to defend this nation against terrorist attacks and real crime.

We should demand accountability of our officials for the diversion of funds 
in the face of attacks on our soil and the failure to solve real crimes of 
murder and attempted murder, robbery, rape, assault, theft and property 
crimes, many more of which are committed under the influence of alcohol 
than drugs, I might add.

Colette Wright

Peyton
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