Pubdate: Sat, 07 Sep 2002
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2002 The StarPhoenix
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Walter Kupsch

MUCH TO BE PROUD OF IN AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam. What Kind Of Place Is It?

Prostitution and smoking pot in the largest city of The Netherlands popped 
up at least three times during the last few weeks in The SP. A darkly 
printed colour picture on the front page (SP Aug. 27) was taken in 
Amsterdam's red light district where, as in five Australian states, 
prostitution is legalized.

Legalization has resulted in much closer contact between those involved in 
the world's oldest profession and the police, who show up immediately when 
acts of violence or other criminal activities are reported. The gainers in 
this change from wrong to right are women and children. The losers are the 
pimps.

The legalized use of marijuana makes drug dealers the losers. No wonder 
they are opposed to affordable smoking in coffee shops licensed to serve 
customers limited smokes.

Darcy Ecker (Pot advocates will never learn SP Aug. 28) mentions that 
"Amsterdam also allows euthanasia." Indeed, euthanasia -- defined in the 
Canadian Oxford Dictionary as "an act of painless killing, esp. at the 
patient's request" -- is legal and rightly so.

All these legal and administrative changes following the Second World War 
in the Netherlands have been to the benefit of women, children, the poor 
and the elderly. They have only upset some extreme conservatives and, of 
course, pimps and drug dealers.

Sooner or later, similar conversions will appear in all civilized nations. 
The days of male-dominated societies, such as those in Afghanistan, will be 
gone.

My wife and I are both proud of our birthplace, Amsterdam.

Walter Kupsch

Saskatoon
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