DRUG CRIME

To the editor:

In response to Dave Downer's not-so-thoughtful June 8 letter: "Crime
victim":

Many judges and prison wardens have said that 70 percent to 90 percent
of all of our violent crime and property crime is "drug-related."
Actually almost 100 percent of our so-called "drug-related crime" is
caused by our drug prohibition policies, not drugs.

When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for 5
cents a bottle, the term "drug-related crime" didn't exist. Neither
did drug lords, drug cartels or even drug dealers as we know them today.

If we re-legalized all types of recreational drugs and they were
legally available in local licensed business establishments for
pennies per dose, we would need far fewer law enforcement personnel,
far fewer prison guards and no prison builders.

And many in law enforcement and the prison industry would be out of a
job or washing cars for a living. Thus, the real reason why most in
law enforcement and the prison industry oppose the legalization of any
drugs.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, AZ