Pubdate: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 Source: North Island Gazette (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 North Island Gazette Contact: http://www.northislandgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2783 Author: Greg Francisco FIND A BETTER WAY Dear Editor, Kudos to letter writer Tom Cook (Residents Deserve to Feel Secure, Dec 28). We all deserve to live in safe neighborhoods, free from criminal drug dealers and low lifes who prey on our children. Thank you to Cook for demanding it. Eighty years ago neighborhoods and communities all across North America were also being held hostage by criminal drug syndicates. Abuse of the drug alcohol among youth was rampant and gangs settled their differences with tommy guns. Then--just like now--criminal dealers didn't check ID. The drug alcohol was readily available on every street in town to any kid with the cash. Our grandparents had the integrity to face the truth and the courage to do what had to be done to put the alcohol gangs out of business once and for all. Do we? Legalize, regulate, tax, control. This is better. Greg Francisco, M.A. Educators for Sensible Drug Policy Minnesota - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine