Pubdate: Thu, 21 Jul 2016
Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ)
Copyright: 2016 The Arizona Republic
Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: Richard W. Morris

ENDING THE DRUG WAR WOULD HELP BRIDGE POLICE-CITIZENS DIVIDE

After all the police shootings, only the Libertarian Party provided a 
viable solution:

"If we truly want to reduce situations in which police are pitted 
against the people they are sworn to protect, we would end the war on 
drugs. The constant escalation of prohibitionist policies have 
increasingly pitted police and citizens against each other for 
decades and are largely responsible for the militarization of police 
forces across America.

"Ending the violence means ending the policies that lead to black and 
gray markets, the highest incarceration rate in the world, and 
reduced economic opportunities in the formal labor market for huge 
swaths of Americans. Ending the violence means ending the war on drugs.

"Ending the drug war will do more to heal the divide between police 
and citizens than any other measure. It is the best way to save 
lives: both those of innocent police officers and innocent citizens."

- - Dr. Richard W. Morris, Phoenix
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom