Pubdate: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 Source: Springfield News-Leader (MO) Copyright: 2002 The Springfield News-Leader Contact: http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1129 Author: Greg Looney 'WAR ON DRUGS' HAS BEEN A FARCE I am glad the two sergeants injured in the Aug. 7 helicopter crash lived through the experience. But instead of concentrating on what went wrong, we need to question why these lives are being risked in the first place. It is common knowledge that our efforts at eradicating marijuana (or any other drug) are symbolic in nature and have no real effect on the economics of the drug trade. So why do they continue? Marijuana and many other "hard drugs" aren't even a blip on the radar screen of destructiveness when compared to alcohol, especially when you factor out the inherent criminality associated with the black market distribution of said drugs. The answer lies mostly in economics. Corrections facilities are big business these days, and there has to be justification for all the money spent on building and staffing these facilities. No career politician in his or her right mind is going to do the right thing and endorse drug decriminalization when it is going to cost jobs amongst their constituency, and likely votes at election time. The "War on Drugs" is a punitive and economic war against American citizens that needs to be acknowledged for the farce that it is. The illegality of drugs is responsible for far more criminal behavior than the drugs themselves. Our resources at all levels would be more appropriately allocated toward apprehending and incarcerating perpetrators of violent crime, and protecting our children from predators. Greg Looney, Springfield - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens