Pubdate: Sat, 11 Apr 2009
Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 Maple Ridge News
Contact:  http://www.mapleridgenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328
Author: Wayne Clark

THE INSANITY BEHIND THE WAR ON DRUGS

Editor, The News:

The decriminalization of marijuana is a no-brainer.

There is no question that the war on drugs has been a total failure 
and a total waste of taxpayer money.

We have wasted trillions of dollars trying to enforce a flawed ideal.

We see the end results in the papers and on the news every day - 
gangsters shooting each other to get control of the outrageous 
profits from illegal drugs.

We are also ruining other country's with our irrational behavior - 
see Mexico and Columbia, where the government is afraid to arrest 
drug cartel members, even Afghanistan. And we know where those 
illegal drug profits go: to fund the terrorists that are killing our soldiers.

These gangsters have more money than the governments that are trying 
to run these countries.

The champions of continuing this insanity will tell you that the 
policy isn't bad; we just haven't enforced it severely enough.

Well, you only have to look at America to see the folly of that 
statement. One of every 100 Americans is behind bars and almost half 
are there as a result of drug charges, which gives America the 
highest incarceration rate in the world. In fact, you would have to 
give them an 'A' for effort on fighting the so-called drug war.

Quite simply, prohibition doesn't work, never has, never will.

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same 
thing over and over and expecting different results.

Wayne Clark

Maple Ridge
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom