DRUG WAR COSTS TOO MUCH -- MORE THAN REAL WAR

Kudos to The Capital Times for commending Mayor Bauman's call for a truce
in the drug war, a counterproductive campaign if there ever was one.

Most Americans probably have little idea of what this war costs. Here's an
example. In the same issue of newspaper in which the original article
appeared, the July Harper's Index (#32) asked: "Rate of the total amount
the U.S. spent on the Gulf War to the amount it spent last year on the drug
war?' The answer is 2:5. That boggles my imagination. Although the Gulf War
cost a great deal, the requirements of the drug war for just one year dwarf
that amount. For this obscene investment, we have warehoused thousands of
non-violent federal prisoners, removing them from family contacts and
responsibilities, and ignore genuine needs of our citizens. Yet, the trade
in illicit drugs marches on.

But there is more mischief occasioned by our drug war, illustrated by
Harper's Index #31: "Percentage change in the size of Colombia's coca crop
since its 'Plan Colombia' coca eradication campaign began in 1999?" The
answer is +11. For all the money our military has poured into Colombia, it
seems that the supply of coca keeps increasing. Furthermore, according to a
Colombian resident I heard speak in Madison earlier this year,
indiscriminate spraying of coca crops by the United States has affected
other crops as well and ravaged the livelihoods of countless peasants.

The mayor's sensible approach to declare an end to the war and start caring
for the wounded (those who are addicted) must inevitably happen. How much
longer will the resources of the United States sink into a bottomless rat
hole, disrupt American families and harm innocent foreigners? I plan to
listen to what Mayor Bauman has to say and keep an open mind. The current
situation could hardly be worse for the soul and the resources of this country.

Jacqueline Kelley
Madison