Pubdate: Mon, 14 Mar 2005
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact:  http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Author: Joe Switzer

PROHIBITION A PROVEN FAILURE -- WHY DO WE INSIST ON IT?

We have proven prohibition doesn't work and repealed it. Should this have 
not taught us something? Drug profits finance terrorists and dictators 
around the world. Bootleggers during Prohibition profited as drug dealers 
do these days. Also gang wars and crime flourished due to that 
unenforceable law. This is true these days, too, with hard drugs. Why can't 
we learn that we cannot legislate people's behavior as to how they behave 
regarding their health?

Making drug possession and use illegal is going through the same exercise 
as before with alcohol. If it is workable, why not make tobacco use 
illegal? Are we stupid just naturally, or on purpose?

Making drugs legal would do what making alcohol legal did. It would take 
the profit out of the trade for the criminals, eliminate drug pushers' 
incentives and enable us to collect taxes on drug sales as we do on liquor 
sales and tobacco sales. Not to mention enable us to gain control of the 
trade and to at the same time reduce crime.

It's time we came to our senses on control of hard drugs and cause their 
usage to add to tax receipts rather than be a huge drain on public funds.

Joe Switzer,

Franklin 
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MAP posted-by: Beth