MAKE DRUGS LEGAL

I'm writing about your thoughtful editorial, "Crime Strategy" (July
1).

Unfortunately, the commonsense solution to Bradenton's crime problem
lies in Washington, D.C. - not Bradenton or any other city or town in
the United States.

Since the vast majority of all of our violent crime and property crime
is caused by our drug-prohibition policies, the common sense solution
is to re-legalize all of our now illegal drugs. Then the drugs can be
sold in legal, regulated and licensed business establishments. Then
drug dealers as we know them today will disappear for economic
reasons. Then our so-called "drug-related crime" will be in our past -
not our future.

Most people currently employed in law enforcement are against the
re-legalization of our now illegal drugs. That's because we would need
far fewer law enforcement personnel if all drugs were re-legalized.
However, there is one organization made up of law enforcement
personnel who favor the re-legalization of all drugs despite the fact
that it's against its own economic self-interest to do so. That
organization is called LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). I
suggest the readers visit the LEAP Web site at www.leap.cc. Then
arrange for a speaker from LEAP to give an informative and
entertaining talk about our current and past drug policies to any
organization or group. Most will arrive at the LEAP talk skeptical -
most will leave convinced. Convinced that we must make major changes
to our nation's drug policies.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.