DRUGS SAFER THAN ENFORCEMENT

John Hansen shows a misunderstanding of people in his letter titled
"Illegal drugs cause irreparable harm" (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec.
5).

Some people in society emerge from childhood with a desire to numb
their minds of a pain most of us will never understand. These people
are prone to develop damaging dependencies on street drugs.

Proponents of legalization care about these people enough to recognize
that the only cure for them is by providing regulated, purified
substances, the purchase of which won't bring them into contact with
criminals. They also care about the vast majority of users that can
safely partake of these illegal substances without impact.

Those who oppose illicit drugs use the one tool that makes a minor bad
situation into a major bad situation. That tool is the criminal
justice system. Using force to try and stop an unstoppable force is
lunacy. Those who advocate for the continuance of prohibition in the
face of reason are truly heartless and worse than the criminals their
policies enrich.

Keith Brilhart
Honolulu