Pubdate: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2002 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://www.thecapitaltimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Author: Lili Kilfoy

REDUCE CRIME - LEGALIZE POT

I am writing this because I am very concerned about the violence being
caused by people in our city trying to rob each other for marijuana.

A couple years ago it was Luis Gonzalez who was shot, and his little
brother shot dead, while being robbed for one ounce of pot. Then it
was Pauser, Greene, Ellis and Kopp. They robbed and stabbed someone to
death they knew. For what? A few ounces of pot. Now it's a girl
accused of shooting someone in an attempted robbery gone wrong.

Why is this happening? It is because marijuana is illegal. Marijuana
is worth more than gold because it is illegal.If it were legal, and
not worth so much, kids would not be going around killing each other
for it.

Just look at the prohibition of alcohol. When it was prohibited,
people killed each other for it all of the time. Now that it is
legal, this is unheard of. When you prohibit something, you drive it
underground. You make it harder to obtain, and worth more. The
prohibition of marijuana is killing people everywhere, and breaking
families apart. All of this is over a plant that has never caused a
single death by overdose.

I think everyone in this city needs to hear this because it hits close
to home all of the time. Don't think that this has nothing to do with
you if you don't smoke pot, because someone you know does. They are in
danger of being murdered or thrown in jail. It is up to us to protect
ourselves and fight for the legalization of marijuana.

Lili Kilfoy,

Madison
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