PROHIBITION WON'T END PROSTITUTION PROBLEM

Re: 'It's time to overhaul our prostitution laws' (Daily News, Sept. 29)
and 'Feds must protect sex-trade workers' (Daily News, Oct. 2)

I think that editorials like these need to be copied by papers across
the country on a regular basis. Then our politicians in Ottawa might
notice we have a problem that won't be solved by laws from the middle
ages.

Rather than making draconian statements like "we have no intention of
changing any of the laws relating to prostitution in this country"
(Feds will appeal stricken law, Daily News, Sept. 30), Justice
Minister Rob Nicholson should at least start with discussions and
consultations with the opposition parties since they've offered to do
that.

However, it will take a lot more than discussions to change a system
designed to enrich pimps, pushers, people smugglers, organized crime
cartels and whatever other unsavoury scum is out there.

There will always be prostitution, whether it's underground, above
ground or a mile high so why not regulate it, make it as clean and
safe as possible and even tax it. The revenue could be used to help
addicts.

The same goes for our losing war on drugs. People have always and will
continue to seek ways to alter their state of mind whether it be with
booze, whacky tobaccy or harder stuff. Why leave the enormous profits
from it all to criminals when it could be used to educate and counter
addictions?

Surely people have read about the lesson from prohibition days. It
wasn't a cure then and obviously isn't now. When do our puritanical
politicians start learning that?

Jim Corder

Nanaimo