Pubdate: Sun, 10 Jul 2005
Source: Herald News (NJ)
Copyright: 2005 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.northjersey.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2911
Author: Stephen Raynor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

DON'T LEGALIZE DRUGS

The cry for legalization of controlled substances seems to be getting 
louder.  However, I find the sources to be none other than academics, 
wannabe intellectuals and libertarians, few of whom are likely to 
have experienced the devastation of drugs in their families or lost a 
child to drugs.  The rationale is that all the efforts to interdict 
drugs have been a dismal failure and have only raised their price, 
making trafficking more profitable.  That cannot be denied. However, 
repealing laws against trafficking is like repealing laws against 
murder and robbery because people still murder and rob.  And let's 
explode the myth of the tax revenues to be derived from legalization. 
The revenues realized and a lot more funds would go down the tubes in 
the form of lost income tax revenues from all those who become dead, 
or become the walking dead, because drugs now are so accessible.  And 
how about the funds lost to medical and rehab costs?  The physical 
and mental destruction caused by drugs is too devastating and 
immediate to allow legalization. Instead, more federal, state and 
local funds earmarked for the "War on Drugs" must be focused on 
education for our kids. They must be taught to question what's in 
that bag of stuff their peers are handing them.  "Victory" in this 
"war" will come only for we parents individually by getting through 
to our kids - despite their raging hormones - and keeping them clean.

- - Stephen S. Raynor

Wayne
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MAP posted-by: Beth