Pubdate: Mon, 19 Aug 2002
Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT)
Copyright: 2002 The Salt Lake Tribune
Contact:  http://www.sltrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383
Author: Carla Moquin
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1427/a02.html

END THE WAR

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's disclosure of the link between 
terrorism and drug trafficking (Tribune, July 31) highlights yet another 
reason to end our government's perpetual, unwinnable War on Drugs. The 
reason drug trafficking is linked to terrorism is that by keeping certain 
drugs illegal (and convincing other countries to do the same), we have 
caused the prices (and profits) of illegal drugs to skyrocket, while doing 
absolutely nothing to stem their supply or demand. Our government is 
actually making it easier for terrorist organizations to raise money to 
support their causes. Strange that our politicians don't seem to realize 
that. But maybe they're too busy catering to the lobbying efforts of prison 
guards unions, the police, and the corporations that operate many prisons 
and have an interest in sending as many people to prison as possible. If we 
treated drug abuse as the medical problem it is instead of locking up a 
significant percentage of Americans for non-violent possession, we could 
halve our prison population and, at the same time, strike a blow for freedom.

CARLA S. MOQUIN

West Valley City
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens