Pubdate: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 Source: Longview News-Journal (TX) Copyright: 2014 Cox Newspapers, L.P Contact: http://www.news-journal.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1048 Author: Frank Supercinski DRUGS AND IMMIGRATION Reports repeatedly conclude habitual drug use in the United States is the root cause for children from Central America to illegally come here. The drug cartels there use violence to make them leave, or the children can stay and be killed. The armed forces, several thousand law enforcement employees, miles of fences and walls, electronic and air spying, jails and deportation proceedings - all of these combined will not greatly alleviate this latest immigration problem we bring upon ourselves. Besides, all of them are a great waste of time, money and manpower except for those among us who want to make money by these means. Because our citizens will habitually use drugs, it is appropriate to legalize this activity and prevent waste of time, money and manpower. This will dry up the lucrative income of the drug cartels, and they will have no incentive to drive their citizens away. There are repeated reports that conservative lawmakers in Texas finally recognize that habitual drug use cannot be criminalized and jailed away. This reality should guide us to legalize drug use, the most effective way to decrease illegal immigration. Or, we can repeat past mistakes. - - Frank Supercinski, Longview - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom