Valentin Martinez (Letter, March 9) writes, "The War on Drugs has turned
into a war on people, and this is unacceptable. All of our rights and
freedoms are under attack because of the War on Drugs."

I agree; the war on drugs is a dismal failure after nearly $1 trillion
and over 60 years of oppression. Legalization and harm reduction will
relieve our overcrowded prisons of nonviolent criminals, save billions
on the war and actually create revenue through taxes upon the drugs.
Drug use among teenagers would drop due to regulation and restriction
of sales to minors, unlike the dealers today who sell to whoever has the
money. Most importantly, it will restore our rights of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness, not to mention protection from illegal
search and seizures.

Jason Alexander Potts
(Blue Springs, Mo.)