Pubdate: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL) Copyright: 2002 The Sun-Times Co. Contact: http://www.suntimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81 Author: Jake Witmer A CASUALTY OF USELESS WAR The June 13 article ''City targets heroin buyers coming from the suburbs'' states: ''When a buyer hitting the West Side open-air drug markets is arrested, the car will be seized and towed, and the owner will have to pay towing and storage fees that could run into the hundreds of dollars.'' Is that before or after the trial by jury? Once again, the war on drugs comes into direct conflict with the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights loses. Yet, for all their Constitution-shredding tactics, the police are unsuccessful at doing anything to materially affect the drug trade (beyond occasionally driving up the cost of prohibited drugs and making a few drug users' lives a living hell). What an accomplishment. And that's only one of thousands of very good reasons all drugs should be legal. Drug use is a personal choice -- even the use of potentially deadly drugs like alcohol, cocaine, cigarettes and heroin. If American citizens own their own bodies, then they should be able to choose what substances go into those bodies. End of argument. Jake Witmer West Town - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens