Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jan 1999
Date: 01/16/1999
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Author: Robert Heard
Related: The editorial is at:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n031.a10.html

You say, "A link between crime and drugs is unassailable." Make
tobacco possession a felony and see if tobacco prices go up, how high,
and see how hard addicts will fight to get enough money to buy it, and
how tobacco-related crime is born of their desperation. I want my tax
money back on the war on drugs, and I want an apology from the government.

Yeah, there's a connection between drugs and crime; without government
interference, drug sales would follow only the laws of supply and
demand; drugs would be affordable (less than 1/20 of current street
value); most addicts wouldn't need to steal your car to get enough
money to purchase something that they need as badly as you need
oxygen. Government is the real connection between drugs and crime, and
drug enforcement personnel and politicians are the beneficiaries. The
taxpayers are the ones who helplessly foot the enormously wasteful
bill.

ROBERT HEARD
Huntington Beach