TIME FOR REAL DEBATE ON DRUG LEGALIZATION

Before we destroy the Mexican government and bring narco-terrorism to
our own cities by our ruinous drug policies (which make their
distribution the most lucrative occupation in the Western Hemisphere)
we should have a real debate (not sound bites) on legalization.

The cancer of the cartels and Zetas will not stop at the Rio Grande;
indeed it is daily seeping further into this country. Consider the
following:

After a delicious San Antonio supper of enchiladas smothered in chili
con carne and onions, I had a dream wherein I was allowed to read a
story from the Jan. 24, 2018, Express-News:

"President Amnesia's State of the Union speech yesterday emphasized
the success of the administration during 2017 in the war on drugs. 'We
are definitely winning this war,' the president said, citing the following:

"'Assassinations of U.S. local public officials, police, sheriffs and
journalists by members of the United Cartels and their enforcement
arm, the Zetas, were down 7 percent in 2017, to 287. Car bombings in
our U.S. cities dropped by 5 percent.'

"The president noted: 'This is the first annual decrease since 2013
when the large drug cartels made peace with each other and formed the
United Cartels, or UC, to divide up the drug distribution routes and
present a united front to the Mexican and U.S. governments.

"'Violent crime in Mexico has also decreased dramatically since the
peace treaty between the UC and the Mexican government, although it
must be said that it is regrettable that the UC now has a place in the
new coalition government and has been guaranteed three Cabinet
positions, one of which oversees the military and another the police
forces.

"'For our part," the president said, 'we are maintaining a 20 percent
increase in the amount of drugs seized each year and a 25 percent
annual increase in incarcerations of drug users. This enabled us to
maintain our position as the world leader in incarcerations. We've
also built 29 new federal prisons, creating thousands of new jobs.

"'Now,' Amnesia added, 'I want to extend the deepest regrets of the
nation to the families of the five members of Congress assassinated in
2017, occasioned by their sponsorship of a bill to legalize drugs.

"'Inasmuch as the passage of such legislation would take the profit
out of the drug trade and strip the UC and the Zetas (as well as their
allies, al-Qaida and the Taliban who control the poppy fields of
Afghanistan) of billions in income, I have directed the Secret Service
to provide protection to each of you.

"'And since I have learned that the Zetas are threatening the families
of any member of Congress who supports such legislation, I am
extending the protection to as many of your family members as
practicable.

"'Having said that, however, I don't favor legalization, which runs
the risk of encouraging more citizens to use drugs.

"'I'm aware,' the president said, 'of the argument by proponents that
taking the profit out of dealing in drugs would remove pushers from
our schools and cities; eliminate drug-related corruption and bribery
of public officials; shut off the income of the drug cartels and our
enemies in the Middle East; and free up billions spent on the drug war
and the incarceration of millions of nonviolent drug users to provide
mentoring of at-risk young people, treatment for addicts and countless
public works.

"'However,' Amnesia concluded, 'those arguments are speculative
whereas success of the war on drugs is a proven fact.'"