Pubdate: Sun, 17 Aug 2008
Source: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Herald Company
Contact:  http://www.dailyherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n764/a01.html
Author: Ralph Givens

ENDING DRUG WARS WOULD HURT GANGS

Ned McCray has the wrong take on the way the drug war works (Fence
Post, Aug. 4).

Drug prohibition provides the money gangs use to buy guns. Drug money
is the fuel that keeps gangs in power.

Taking away their drug money by legalizing and regulating drugs for
adult use will strike a blow at crime at every level.

It's worth remembering that Eliot Ness never put the bootleggers out
of business. Repeal and a regulated market for adult alcohol use did
that in short order.

There hasn't been a shootout over beer routes since
1933.

Ralph Givens

Daly City, Calif.