PREVENTION ALWAYS THE BEST CHOICE

Editor, The News:

Re: Make judges accountable (Letters, Jan. 9).

Craig Lytle, your assumption that putting dealers away will make society
safe is incorrect. Judges should be more accountable in putting away those
who may harm others or continue with crime. Putting away drug dealers will
not stop the distribution of drugs.

I am a former Marijuana Party candidate who has never used marijuana. I
very much support an organization Senator Larry Campbell promotes, LEAP
(Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), which realizes that jail does not
cut down on drug use. Prohibition increases drug use, allows criminals to
prosper, and takes billions out of economy to fight drug use instead of
helping solve addiction problem.

We need to have our legal system ready to fight real crime, not fight
people who made bad personal choices.

As long as we have a demand, we will have dealers. Put one in jail and
another will take their place. Gangs proper only when given the exclusive
rights to sell drugs like they now have. Of course, the added benefit of
taking the gang's business profits would be less theft by their customers
who feed their profit.

Prevention in medicine, prevention in crime - always the best choice.

Dan Banov, Maple Ridge