END WAR ON DRUGS

Many people think that the country is in the middle of fighting two
wars right now. In fact, it is fighting three. The war on drugs has
been going on for at least four decades, has cost more than any other
war in that period and has arguably destroyed more lives. When will
our elected officials admit what most of us already know: This war has
been a total failure in almost every sense?

We eventually lose whenever we try to fight against nature, whether
it's Mother Nature or human nature. We tried to ban drinking in the
1920s (a total disaster) and gambling, right through the 1960s, with
little luck. Once we got smart and legalized both (with the associated
taxes), it became a revenue source for the state and cut back on the
expenses of prison space and courts. There were drunks and gamblers
before and there are drunks and gamblers now. The only difference is
that now, these people are not in jail and the taxes for the rest of
us are lower.

With drugs, though, we still haven't learned our lesson. Is it because
there are so many people who make their living in the prison industry
or the courts? Whatever the reason, it is clear that what we are doing
isn't working and has never worked. Let's face it: There will always
be people dumb enough or desperate enough or foolish enough to try
drugs. That is human nature and there is no way we can change it. What
we need to do is to take some of the savings we will get by
legalizing, regulating and taxing them and fund drug treatment centers
and educational campaigns.

As for me, even though I don't take drugs (or even drink alcohol), I
won't vote again for any politician who acts as though the status quo
on drugs is working. It's not.

Phil Duran,

Lawrence