DRUG WAR HAS MORE LOSERS THAN WINNERS

All wars must first begin in the mind, then end in failure, pain and
destruction (Eminent Advice: End the Drug War, Sept.5). The
testosterone-laden male seems compelled to answer the ancient call for some
kind of valiant battle, then realizes too late that he has created a
disaster.

Drug addicts are sick. They require intervention.

Drug dealers are criminals. They require punishment.

But since we created the problem, we will require the courage to stop
the insane war and put our efforts into treatment, quarantine chronic
abusers if necessary, and the legalized sale in liquor stores of a
government-sanctioned product.

Gordon Grant
North Vancouver

The first article in the Sun's special series on the war on drugs was
superb. But I hold little hope for the U.S. ever changing its policy.
There are too many interests attached to the cash flow created by the
high cost of illicit drugs. This is true on both sides, law
enforcement and the bad guys.

Since the pacification of its frontiers, the U.S. has always liked to
have a large and visible internal police force. There was always an
enemy to be conquered; from the wilderness, to the Indians, to the
slavers, to the boozers, to the Reds, to the druggies.

Let us never lose sight of the fact the Americans won the Cold War.
They are top dog on the planet today and, from their moral high
ground, in this case a war against the evil druglords, they'll lob
lumps of their economic might at whomever might question their stance.
Still, in spite of that persistent puritanical propensity, better the
U.S.A. than the U.S.S.R.

Mark Kyren
Coquitlam