Pubdate: Fri, 31 May 2002
Source: Peoria Journal Star (IL)
Copyright: 2002sPeoria Journal Star
Contact:  http://pjstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/338
Author: Greg James

THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS BEEN A WASTEFUL FAILURE

All of the talk in the daily paper about raising taxes or cutting mental 
health care or police and fire or roads or aid to seniors or closing 
prisons - there is just no money. But one thing that seems to be a 
hands-off subject is the drug war.

The high price of drugs due to their illegality causes much of the crime on 
our streets. Shoplifting, burglaries, check forging, many shootings and 
violent crimes are caused by the artificially high price of illegal drugs, 
endangering us and the people who have to fight this war.

The illegality of drugs also allows our children more availability to 
drugs. If you're licensed to sell alcohol you are less likely to sell to a 
child for fear of losing your license. However, many who sell drugs figure 
they are already breaking the law, so why not sell to children? In many 
cases it is the children selling the drugs.

Lastly, the artificially high price of drugs funds terrorism. It gives 
money to the cartels. In Afghanistan it has given the Taliban operating 
capital. We have the police, the FBI and many other agencies fighting 
choices that could have been fighting terrorism.

Watch the paper and see how many people are arrested for possession or 
other drug-related crimes every day, and multiply that by the number of 
cities in the United States. Think of the cost. Ask yourself, has the war 
on drugs worked? What would we have if we had all of the money wasted on 
the drug war in the last 30 years?

Then call your representatives and tell them they should be looking to 
eliminate the wasteful war on drugs as a way to save money.

Greg James

Dunlap
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MAP posted-by: Beth