FIGHTING DRUGS

To the editor:

When it comes to legalizing drugs one man's liberty is another man's
chaos. If drugs are legalized everyone in this country will pay a
price. First the family will suffer more than it has already, The
last thing on a drug addict's mind is their children and so called
loved ones. Their mind is on their next fix and themselves.

The next ones to suffer are children that are born to a drug addict
mother, because she can't get clean long enough to carry the baby
until birth. These babies are born with parts of their brains missing
and holes in their brains. These children will need almost total care
their entire lives. This care will come at an astromonical cost to
all of us, especially the taxpayer. Then there's the price these
children have to pay through loss of quality of life.

The next thing is the children in the system because of the breakdown
of the family unit. These children will either be in the courts, the
hospital, the mental institution, or foster care or reform school.
Whichever the case maybe it'll cost us all plenty, The addicts
themselves will be in the system someplace especially when they hit
bottom. This will also cost us plenty. Since the average drug addict
isn't a doctor they tend to overdose which leads to death so the
funeral parlors will also be a lot busier. So legalizing drugs does
have a price whether it's human suffering or taxpayers dollars. I
believe the price is too high for legalizing drugs.

Some people say we shouldn't help the Colombians fight the cartel and
the Communist. I say can we afford not to help in some way anyway.
If the Commies take over Columbia the cartel will surely increase the
output of drugs to this country. The Commies will owe the cartel,
because the cartel is bankrolling the revolution with drug profits.
So with this increase in drugs being shipped to this country the price
we will have to pay will be much greater so I say help the Colombians
and keep drugs illegal because it's the right thing to do. Keeping
drugs illegal is right for the children, it's right for the addicts
and it's right for the potential addicts; it's also right for the rest
of us expecially the taxpayers. I still believe anyone who wants
drugs legalized is either a "dope" crazy or a drug addict looking for
company.

KEITH SHAVER