EDITORIAL MISSED UNDERLYING POINT

In response to the SVN editorial "Challenge to citizens: Gang up on
gangs" from Feb. 18, I think the underlying point was missed, since it
never stated that the war on drugs is causing most of the gang
violence, because the illegal drug market is instigating the same
violence that alcohol prohibition did in Chicago.

The violence will not end until the profits from an illegal drug
market are eradicated, and the way to do that is to regulate,
medicalize, and tax currently illegal drugs. Not only would that take
away the profit that fuels gangs and leads to gang violence, but it
would also make some of the most dangerous substances safer.

Think about it. Who monitors the quality and purity of illegal drugs?
Nobody does. But if the government regulated the market, purity levels
could be assured, thus a safer substance.

Remember, alcohol prohibition led to all sorts of dangerous
concoctions that were without any type of oversight. Alcohol
prohibition also yielded Al Capone and unprecedented amounts of
violence. Take a lesson from the history books; end the war on drugs,
and gang violence will decrease.

Some might not want to admit that our war on drugs has failed but, in
fact, it has done more harm than the good it was intended to do.
However, continuing these flawed policies will only lead to more
violence and bloodshed.

Dan Linn

Note to readers - Dan Linn is executive director of the Illinois
Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.