Pubdate: Fri, 25 May 2001
Source: Texas Observer (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The Texas Observer
Contact:  http://www.texasobserver.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/748
Author: Carl Fox

DRUG MONEY

America should give up it's 'drug war' racket regarding people caught 
with small amounts of drugs.  This war is nothing more than what NBC 
Nightly News would refer to as 'The Fleecing of America'.

Give a small fine to people caught with small amounts of drugs unless 
they are caught selling it.  If a person is determined to get high, 
they will, even resorting to inhaling gasoline fumes.  Bathtub gin 
was popular during Prohibition.  Bust the people selling dope, and 
leave the rest alone.

But, the dope 'war' is too big a 'cash cow' for government to drop, 
even partially.  It keeps the bills of a superfluous amount of 
judges, lawyers, cops, jailers, etc. paid.  Here in Texas counties 
get X amount of dollars daily from the state for every person 
incarcerated in their jails.  As a result, prisons here and in most 
of the rest of the country have to release killer drunk drivers, 
rapists, batterers, etc. earlier than is morally responsible to make 
room for casual drug users.  The real criminals usually resume their 
lives of crime upon release.

The American taxpayer pays the price for the superfluous law 
enforcers needed to fight this hypocritical  'war'.  We often have to 
pay for the children on welfare of the people caught with small 
amounts of drugs.  We pay again financially, and in more painful ways 
when the real criminals are let loose back into society.  But hey, 
our government has always been run by lawyers who only tell us the 
things they want us to hear.

P.S. I don't use illicit drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe