LESSONS ABOUT GANG VIOLENCE

Editor:

Re: Cities form united front on gang crime, Feb. 20.

On reading your recent headline, I was struck by a
thought.

Much ink has been splattered on this subject, and one argument is that
marijuana should be legalized in order to deprive the violent gangs of
their income. Others say stiffer penalties and increased law
enforcement is the answer.

Looking through history, there are lessons to support both
arguments.

Firstly, when prohibition of alcohol was recognized as the main cause
of the rise of powerful gangsters like Al Capone, removal of that
prohibition did directly result in a substantial reduction in gang
income and, subsequently, murderous gunplay in the streets.

This had the side benefit of allowing mature adults to engage in a
drink with confidence that the product was produced in clean,
government-inspected facilities.

On the other hand, when the Taliban ruled Afganistan with their
extremely severe penalties and absolute law enforcement, there simply
was no opium poppy production. On the other hand, there was no true
government, as such, because the heavily armed gangs - the Taliban -
had taken over the entire country.

So, will legalizing the intoxicant, marijuana, reduce the gangs'
income and reduce the violence that is currently escalating at a truly
scary rate? History says it would probably work, with the side benefit
of allowing mature adults to engage in a toke with confidence that the
product was produced in clean, government-inspected facilities.

Can enough force be put upon the illicit-drug market to make marijuana
use simply stop? History says it can, but only if we allow a gang of
even more violent fanatics to slaughter the present group of bullies,
destroy our government and become the de-facto policing force on our
streets.

Lorne S. Jones

Surrey