Pubdate: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 Source: Macomb Daily, The (MI) Copyright: 2002 The Macomb Daily Website: http://www.macombdaily.com Contact: (586) 783-0309 Fax: (586) 469-2892 Address: P.O. Box 707, Mt. Clemens, MI 48046 Author: Frank DeFrank, Macomb Daily Columnist DRUG REFORM PUSH FOSTERS LEGAL DEBATE Columnist Frank DeFrank: "For a few fleeting moments, those cops and social workers and activists who serve so proudly as soldiers in the "war" on drugs were forced to consider an outside-the-box approach to a problem that continues to grow despite their best efforts." Mere unorthodoxy or dissent from the prevailing mores is not to be condemned. The absence of such voices would be a symptom of grave illness in our society. -- Earl Warren, Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you haven't been already, sometime in the next few months you'll likely be approached and asked to sign a petition to put a measure on the ballot that would reform Michigan drug laws. Depending on whom you believe, the Michigan Drug Reform Initiative, a proposed amendment to the state constitution, will: Decriminalize many drug offenses; Focus on treatment rather than incarceration for users; Reserve the most severe prison sentences for major drug dealers. Or it will ... Cripple law enforcement agencies in their efforts to apprehend and punish drug dealers; Fail to deliver on treatment promises; Put the United States on a path toward the legalization of drugs. To be sure, the proposal isn't that simple. Opponents point out that the entire text of the initiative is nearly as long as the U.S. Constitution, and much of it is written in legalese. "As a lawyer, I know the devil is in the detail," James Halushka, an Oakland County prosecutor and avid opponent of the measure said last week. Halushka was one of several presenters at a "symposium" on drug reform organized by U.S. Rep. Sander Levin. Most in attendance were law enforcement officials, social workers and anti-drug coalition leaders. Most, if not all, opposed the initiative. But when Hazel Park City Councilman Andy LeCureaux offered that he not only backed the measure, he favored the legalization of drugs, a pep rally transformed into a lively debate. For a few fleeting moments, those cops and social workers and activists who serve so proudly as soldiers in the "war" on drugs were forced to consider an outside-the-box approach to a problem that continues to grow despite their best efforts -- and despite the expenditure of billions of dollars. LeCureaux offered a chilling observation: "Millionaire drug dealers are on the side of keeping drugs illegal," he said. It's doubtful those who attended the symposium changed their minds. These folks offer a few compelling arguments of their own, and comments by one man won't sway them. But if they're objective, free-thinking people, they came away with something to ponder. The Michigan Drug Reform Initiative is well financed, and even opponents concede it will get on the ballot. If that happens, and the measure fosters the kind of debate it did last week, then everybody wins, regardless of which side you're on. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth