DRUG WAR FUELING VIOLENT CRIME?

Regarding Sunday's Outlook cover article "Getting to the root of
crime / Next president must take action": Lee P. Brown has a
wonderful idea when he suggests that the new president convene a
Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. Brown listed a
number of important questions that he feels this commission should
consider. He, however, omitted the most crucial question of all:
"Does the current war on drugs reduce crime, or is it actually the
cause of much of the violence we're experiencing today?"

The commission should face facts: The 80-year-old war on drugs has
not worked. The commission should consider how best to legalize and
regulate drug sales and use. Instead of spending billions of dollars
on police raids and keeping nonviolent offenders in prison, we could
raise money by taxing drug sales.

Frances Burford

Houston