Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jan 2011
Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX)
Copyright: 2011 Amarillo Globe-News
Contact:  http://amarillonet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/13
Author: Matt Schmitto

REMEMBER ALL TRAGEDIES

What took place in Arizona was a tragedy and should not go 
unforgotten, but neither should the ones that happen day in and day 
out on behalf of government policy.

Thanks to the DEA and the war on drugs, violence is used as a means 
in the hopes of reaching a particular ends more than 100 times a day. 
Unfortunately, it often turns out to be just as fatal as what 
happened in Tucson.

Where are the media reports about the non-violent drug addict shot 
and killed by police in Utah? What about the 68-year-old grandfather 
in Massachusetts killed just last week? And what about the pastor in 
Georgia who only chose to help out a woman who had been suspected of 
prostitution and drug use? The Cato Institute has an entire map of 
innocents killed in drug raids - most of whom were not dealing or using.

These innocent lives are no less sacred simply because they were 
killed in direct result of government policy, and it's time the media 
stop conveniently ignoring them. If our goal is to truly stop 
violence, we must take into account all acts of violence, not just 
the rare acts done by deranged extremists.

Matt Schmitto

Amarillo
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom