Note: By now it would be hard to find a newspaper that has not covered this
story. Thus Letters to the Editor (LTE) to any newspaper may be published.
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Also: Our author writes that this PUB LTE is a result of the DrugSense ALERT
"The Drug War's Killing Fields Are Exposed":
http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0138.html

MEXICAN MASSACRES REFLECT FAILURE OF U.S. WAR ON DRUGS

It is not surprising that a mass grave related to the drug trade has
been found in Mexico (''Mass grave seen as sign of ferocity of drug
violence,'' News, Thursday).

As long as demand remains constant, U.S. efforts to limit supply only
make drug trafficking more profitable. The drugs in question have
absolutely nothing to do with the dead bodies found. It is illegal
drug-trade profits, estimated by the United Nations at $400 billion
per year, that inspire criminals to go as far as to kill to protect
their financial interests.

These tremendous profits would not be possible if not for drug
prohibition. The inevitable response from our leaders will be more
money spent on the war on drugs, which then will lead to increased
profitability and increased violence and death.

We may as well get used to mass graves. Until politicians from both
parties recognize the parallels between the drug war and our
disastrous experiment with alcohol prohibition, things only will get
worse.

That means more death, more corruption, increased incidence of HIV for
intravenous drug users and fewer civil rights for all Americans.

When alcohol prohibition ended, liquor producers stopped killing each
other, consumers stopped going blind from bathtub gin, and minors had
to show proof of age to buy alcohol.

By lifting drug prohibition, we easily could put an end to the
violence and make it harder for American youth to purchase drugs. Of
course, that might send children the wrong message.

The only message I'm getting from Capitol Hill is that it's better to
continue wasting billions of tax dollars a year on a counterproductive
policy than to admit you've made a horrible mistake.

Robert Sharpe
Washington, D.C.