News (Media Awareness Project) - US CA: PUB LTE: U.S. Drug Policy Marked By Failure |
| Title: | US CA: PUB LTE: U.S. Drug Policy Marked By Failure |
| Published On: | 2000-08-08 |
| Source: | Santa Barbara News-Press (CA) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-03 13:09:13 |
U.S. DRUG POLICY MARKED BY FAILURE
The recent letter, "Drug office deserving of praise," is either satirical or delusional. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Barry McCaffrey deserve neither praise nor funding.
The effects of this country's drug control policy are disastrous. It is prohibition which fuels the cartel's profits. As with the prohibition of alcohol, the war on some drugs is a policy of failure.
The global market for illicit drugs is a $400 billion -- 8 percent of the global economy -- tax free industry. Corruption is rampant: the LAPD Ramparts scandal and the recent finding of drug-money laundering by the head of our drug interdiction forces in Colombia, Col. James Hewitt, are only two examples.
Our desire for cultural purity is killing innocent people. The recent death of author Peter McWilliams, because he was denied use of marijuana as an anti-nausea agent while in the care of our justice system in California, is justly seen by many as a crime by our government against the people it is sworn to protect.
We need debate and discussion, not harmful, repressive legislation. The United States was founded on the principles of liberty and the sanctity of individual rights. McCaffrey and the ONDCP is taking us 180 degrees away from these precious ideals.
I cannot support any office of government that treats our Constitution and Bill of Rights as outdated documents.
Allan Erickson
Eugene, Ore.
The recent letter, "Drug office deserving of praise," is either satirical or delusional. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Barry McCaffrey deserve neither praise nor funding.
The effects of this country's drug control policy are disastrous. It is prohibition which fuels the cartel's profits. As with the prohibition of alcohol, the war on some drugs is a policy of failure.
The global market for illicit drugs is a $400 billion -- 8 percent of the global economy -- tax free industry. Corruption is rampant: the LAPD Ramparts scandal and the recent finding of drug-money laundering by the head of our drug interdiction forces in Colombia, Col. James Hewitt, are only two examples.
Our desire for cultural purity is killing innocent people. The recent death of author Peter McWilliams, because he was denied use of marijuana as an anti-nausea agent while in the care of our justice system in California, is justly seen by many as a crime by our government against the people it is sworn to protect.
We need debate and discussion, not harmful, repressive legislation. The United States was founded on the principles of liberty and the sanctity of individual rights. McCaffrey and the ONDCP is taking us 180 degrees away from these precious ideals.
I cannot support any office of government that treats our Constitution and Bill of Rights as outdated documents.
Allan Erickson
Eugene, Ore.
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