UNITED STATES FUELS DRUG PROBLEM

I feel the sentiments expressed by my friend, William H. Mattingly of
La Habra Heights, Calif., should be published in as many newspapers
across the country as possible.

Mattingly was a group supervisor for the Drug Enforcement
Administra-tion years before the current crisis with narco-trafficking
gangs.

Mattingly has said: "Many Americans are shocked to read of the
thousands of Mexican citizens and the Americans, including U.S.
federal agents, who have been murdered in Mexico by narco-trafficking
gangs. These same American citizens should not be surprised because
Americans, Canadians and Europeans create the demand for illicit drugs
by their use of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, among other dangerous
drugs that are either produced in Mexico or are shipped through
Mexico. These so called 'recreational users' drive the demand for
drugs. Until this demand dries up, the killing will continue."

I think some of the people in these United States live their lives
from day to day completely oblivious to the fact that we here in the
United States have a serious and deadly drug problem. The
"recreational drug" users here in the United States and Canada are
indirectly responsible for the murders of several border guards, an
innocent citizen in Arizona and the ICE agent in Mexico.

What can we expect next?

Muriel Richardson,

Fort Collins