Pubdate: Thu, 01 July 1999
Source: New Times (CA)
Contact:  http://newtimes-slo.com/
Author: Richard Marchese
Note: Original: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n667.a01.html

THE COSTS OF DRUGS

Re: Steven T. Jones' article, "What Does the Drug War Cost." Mr. Jones lists
many more costs to criminalize citizens than the government is reporting.

I want to add one more cost. Perhaps your readers can put their own value on it.

One by one, our liberties are being confiscated and surrendered to the
prohibitionists. Each day, it seems, the "conservatives" on the U.S. Supreme
Court uphold another police tactic that is clearly unconstitutional, whether
it is stop and frisk, searching your vehicle, searching your passengers,
barging into your house, forfeiting your property without even so much as
proof of cuilt, searching your garbage and using that as an excuse to smash
your door down.

This list goes on and on. Yet in order to fight their "War on Drugs"
prohibitionists require you surrender these liberties.

Still, drugs are as plentiful as ever; I wish I could say that for our rights.

Richard Marchese, Fairfield, N.J.

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MAP posted-by: Jo-D