Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jun 2009
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 Black Press
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wOQxPi2c
Website: http://www.vicnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1267
Author: David Lowther
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n547/a01.html

LEGALIAZING DRUGS WILL STOP VIOLENCE

Re: Victoria's top cop vows to catch drug dealers (News, May 22)

The News merely repeats the propaganda message when it quotes 
Victoria police Chief Jamie Graham as saying that "drugs and violence 
go together" without questioning the accuracy of the statement.

That this is Chief Graham's opinion does not make it fact, however 
much he may think so.

As our U.S. neighbours proved with the Volstead Amendment, it is 
neither drugs nor alcohol that goes with violence. It is prohibition 
that creates the high prices for otherwise inexpensive commodities.

This artificially maintained high price against low cost ratio in an 
uncontrollable industry in turn create violence over market share. 
The prohibited item is the innocent bystander in an exercise in 
social engineering.

That Chief Graham has not figured this out is appalling.  One almost 
suspects that he must know, and simply ignores these truths in order 
to parrot an ideological position.  I am not sure if I prefer the 
Chief less as a dupe or a cynic.

Either way, we cannot afford to listen to him without challenging his 
allegations, because the lunacy of prohibition must end before we can 
expect an end to drug market related violence.

David Lowther

Mesachie Lake, B.C
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