WE ARE NOT WINNING THE WAR ON DRUGS

Editor,

I am profoundly saddened and disappointed in our political
representation calling for the criminalization of another drug, this
time Salvia. We are not winning the war on drugs nor will we ever win
that war.

The drug merchants make astounding profits, have no rules and a ready
and willing market. It would appear that our government has learned
nothing from previous grievous errors, namely prohibition.

This was a long term unmitigated disaster that turned the ordinary
person on the street, who wanted to go home after work and have a
drink and relax, into a common criminal and people with grade two
educations and a gun into millionaires at the helm of booze smuggling
empires.

Today we have chosen drugs as the flavour of the day to stamp out.
This year alone 30 killings in Edmonton and most them drug related.
3,000 dead in drug wars in Mexico in the last three years. In the
United States they have lost count.

Drumheller penitentiary is full, 90 per cent drug related. Each and
every one of those people who get out of jail have a criminal record
and will not likely be able to get meaningful work, and why should you
care?

Because your tax dollars will being paying for their welfare. Is the
world truly too blind to see that a controlled drug environment would
be much safer and more lucrative for the government than one run by
common thugs or are we just to lazy and accept the status quo and go
along with law makers and politicians that are following God only
knows who's agenda.

In the state of California their government has estimated that 750,000
people are in their jails on non violent drug related charges.
Furthermore they estimate that without having those people in prison
and the inherent cost keeping them, the cost of enforcing antiquated
drug laws and the tax loss on having the drugs legalized for sale
would amount to $3.2 billion per year in state income.

This does not factor in the tragic and unnecessary loss of human life.
This war on drugs will never be won, no more so than was the law on
alcohol or the stellar job being done on prostitution. In my opinion
the people that should be in jail are the law-makers and the
politicians for enabling this travesty of justice.

As a point of interest Californians are about to vote on legalizing
drugs and will perhaps pass the bill, as have so many other informed
countries in the world. The next time someone gets killed over $30
worth of drugs you can say a little prayer that it wasn't one of your
family or friends ..... or was it ?

If it was, would you still say damn good law, I'm sure they're winning
the war !

Paul Champion

Calmar