Pubdate: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 Surrey Leader Contact: http://www.surreyleader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236 Author: J. Reynolds Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1797/a01.html KUDOS TO COPS FOR DRUG WAR Re: Letter on marijuana legalization, Nov. 19. I applaud with a standing ovation, the war of a plant. We have had a lot of grow ops busted in our area and would like to correct your writer's views. He says our freedom is trampled. Is he saying that we should have the freedom to commit murder, rape or steal? He says some grow ops exist to supply compassion. Not. It is all about the money. They are mostly run by gangs and sold across the border. Making it legal would not stop the cross border traffic. Tax dollars wasted? I pay personal taxes, house taxes and business taxes, feel free to use as much as you want to get rid of these bad seeds in our midst. Violence being curbed? Will they put up big signs pointing to their houses so the poor old couple behind us wont be broken into and victimized again? Houses are suppose to be homes for families. Cigarettes are legal and there is still a huge black market for them. Clear your mind for a few months and think of the negative impact. What about the message we send to our children? It must be OK to get high, after all, the adults made it legal. Like booze it will create just one more problem in an overloaded system. What about the frightened mothers, who know that these people have no regard for their own children's safety, who they have living in these dangerous places,let alone their neighbours children. What about the mold damage to their little lungs? Will the drive-by shootings stop? Easy big money will not be given up.If the gangs that run these are mostly from another country, why are we not deporting them as soon as they are caught? Some of these criminals don't even move away after they are publicly busted. A lot of these families are claiming no income and getting tax rebates for GST and children. Do you think they will pay their taxes if you make it legal? It's all about the money, they are not going to want to give half of it away. It is cheaper to pay the slap on the wrist. For the very few who need this for medicine, it could be given out by prescription. What good can come from morally messed-up thinking, caused from a fog-induced mind? Get high on life itself and do some good for others. J. Reynolds Surrey - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake