ANSWER TO DRUG TRADE ...

Re: "A Culture of Murder - Fueled by the drug trade, young men in some
Dallas neighborhoods find it too easy to pull the trigger," Jan. 16 news story.

Various proponents (and beneficiaries) of drug prohibition expound on
the "benefits" and processes of this eternal war on our young people.

I wonder if Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle thought through his
statement, "If there is a single common denominator in violent crime,
it's going to be the drug issue - issues of turf and drug dealers
ripping each other off." I wonder when was the last time the chief
heard of a Budweiser distributor rubbing out a Coors dealer in a turf
war.

Pastor Ronald Wright was right when he said, "It's the combination of
no jobs, no education and drugs that gets you violence."

The black market in drugs is the world's largest, equal opportunity,
multilevel-marketing organization. It's no surprise that the drug
trade never slows when every arrest creates another job opportunity
for a disadvantaged youth.

Dean Becker, Houston