DON'T LEGALIZE

Re: "Activist preaches drug legalization" (C-P, March 19).

I don't see how anyone can figure that, by legalizing, taxing or
regulating the sale of drugs, we will eliminate the violence
associated with them.

A recent proposal to Camden political leaders was aimed at this idea,
and I think it is absurd. If you have gangs or cartels selling
illegal drugs openly on the streets and violence is part of their
game and marketing strategy, how will legalizing drugs stop this
violence? It's a lucrative business for them.

Drug dealers eliminate the competition through murder to make their
money. If the government legalizes the sale of drugs, taxes it and
regulates it, it will only make it harder for drug dealers to get
their money since drug prices will probably go down. The result will
be that violence will increase as gangs struggle for their piece of the market.

Granted, the so called "war on drugs" is not working. Fancy slogans
such as "just say no" don't work either." A young man can work hard
for the minimum wage or make hundreds of dollars quickly, doing
little. Do you honestly think they will say no?

With an overcrowded prison system and backlogged judicial system, the
consequences of being caught selling drugs are too lenient, and drug
dealers know it. The consequences for dealers should be much more
severe to make selling not worth the risk.

You can't risk police officers' lives to take dealers off the streets
only to put the dealers right back on the streets.

Legalizing drugs would only make an extremely competitive market more
competitive.

EARL FOSTER

Brooklawn