DRUG POLICY IS THE REAL CAUSE OF MEXICAN VIOLENCE

Violence is rooted in drug policy

The Times editorial (U.S. guns fueling drug wars | March 9,
editorial) relating to guns and the drug wars reflects a complete
loss of perspective. It focuses upon guns as the cause of the
violence and threat to security in Mexico and the United States.

The real cause is our idiotic drug laws, which make drug trafficking
so profitable and give rise to the cartels. The situation is very
much like that which prevailed during our Prohibition era, which was
characterized by organized crime and associated violence. It is very
much unlike that era in that we came to our collective senses and
repealed the 18th Amendment. Our "war on drugs" has lasted many
decades with no end in sight.

The editorial calls for President Obama to use the inter-American
summit as a stage to craft a strategy for dealing with this threat to
security. Fine! Let's call for step one to be legislation within the
United States to identify drug abuse as a health problem - and
subsequent steps to address the reform of all the associated
criminalization aspects.

Donald Barnhill, Trinity