END THE WAR ON DRUGS: MAKE THEM LEGAL

Many years ago, I wrote to support legalizing drugs with federal and state
control on the order of ABC stores but with physicians regulating the drugs
and the treatment. Drugs would become so cheap that illegal trafficking
wouldn't be profitable. After the proper facilities were set up with very
cheap drugs for most and free for the needy addicts and drug therapy for
all, the illegal trade would dry up. This would eliminate the need for many
drug-regulating bureaus and thousands of policemen.

Question: Do the federal and state governments really want to take all
those officers off the street? Many jobs would be lost from the White House
to the courthouse. Much temptation for graft would be removed. Fighting
drugs has always been a strong political platform.

The United States for years has paid drug-producing countries big money to
control planting and trafficking, making a lot of dictators rich while the
drugs keep coming in.

Now times have drastically changed. Afghanistan has come into the picture.
Not only are drugs the farmers' greatest source of wealth, this wealth is
also supporting al-Qaida's terrorism against Iraq, Israel and the western
world, mainly the United States.

Some advocates will propose paying Afghanistan money to destroy the opium
poppy business and maintain control - like having the fox guard the
chickens. Others say Osama bin Laden's fortune is depleted, that he's now
financing terrorism with Afghanistan drug money and paying the farmers more
for one poppy crop than they normally make in a lifetime on such barren soil.

Prohibition from 1919 until 1934 was never enforceable, and neither are the
drug laws. Franklin D. Roosevelt repealed prohibition. I believe, today,
he'd say legalize drugs.

HARRY E. WILSON

Greenville