Pubdate: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Copyright: 2009, West Partners Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294 Author: Wayne Macdonald GET RID OF GANGS BY LEGALIZING DRUGS To the editor: This is in response to the editorial Gang Shooting a Warning Signal (Capital News Jan. 28). It is obvious that you, the RCMP chief and like thinkers are all in denial and/or ignorant of the mistakes of the alcohol prohibition era. You are also in denial and/or ignorant of the fact that a huge chunk of our society smokes pot both young and old. You also seem to be blind to the fact that in the United States they already have virtually a zero tolerance policy. Yet where does most of our precious B.C. bud go? As a result the American jails are over flowing with what I would suggest are not criminals. George Bush claims that if you do drugs then you support terrorism and I would suggest gangs. Using that logic, then 80 years ago if you drank booze you supported gangs, right? So what changed? People still drink booze. So obviously the law changed. In spite of the governments of the day's efforts trying their damndest to eliminate the evil booze from society, demand for the product continued. As a result the gangsters moved in to capitalize on the demand. This is precisely the same reason why the modern day gangsters are moving in on the drug trade. History is repeating it self. So, it is obvious that the only solution to today's gangster problems is to legalize pot. Ask yourselves why booze was legalized. What ever the answer is, it's the same reason why pot should be legalized. After booze was legalized anyone that drank was no longer considered a criminal. The same would happen with pot. Booze companies were considered criminal organizations during Prohibition. They are now corporate citizens who pay taxes and employ people who also pay taxes. Imagine, the pot smokers today would no longer be considered criminals and can then come out of their closets. The gangsters would now become corporate citizens and pay taxes and employ people who will also pay taxes. Talk about a boost to the economy. Fill the jails with real criminals like the three cops that were drunk and beat up that guy in Vancouver. Or the four cops that killed that guy at the Vancouver airport. Or all the other cops that should be in jail for what would be considered criminal activity had they not been cops. I rest my case. Wayne Macdonald Kelowna - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin