Pubdate: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2009 El Paso Times Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/formnewsroom Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829 Author: Rafael Padilla DRUG ECONOMY Working in central Mexico as an American mechanical engineer in the early 1990s (UTEP '89), I saw first hand how the press and government officials, in fact even my socialist uncle, approved of drugs heading north since this meant money went south. Drugs were not used by Mexican youths and the war was on foreign soil. Now that it has become more difficult to bring drugs to the States, cartels and local drug gangs have been actively distributing their drugs in Mexico to ensure a market. The United States is winning the drug war on our soil and I am extremely disappointed that some politicans and professors endorse legalizing marijuana. I have never tried the stuff and I sure do not want my family exposed to it. Appeasing the criminal element leads to corruption and a lawless society. Rafael Padilla Horizon City - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D