DRUG CRIMINALIZATION

Thanks for publishing Scott Russ' outstanding letter: "Failed drug
war" (12-18-03). Russ is right, we shouldn't expect any changes from
law enforcement. Law enforcement has a vested financial interest in
maintaining the status quo.

Many prison wardens have said that 70 to 80 percent of all violent
crime is drug-related. Actually almost 100 percent of our so-called
drug-related crime is drug criminalization caused crime.

Ninety years ago when all types of recreational drugs were legally
available in local pharmacies for pennies per dose, the term
"drug-related crime" didn't exist. Neither did drug lords, drug
cartels or drug dealers as we know them today.

If we re-legalized all types of recreational drugs and made them
available in local pharmacies for pennies per dose, our violent crime
would be reduced by about 75 percent. Therefore, we would need far
fewer law enforcement personnel, prisons, prison guards and prison
builders.

Therefore, law enforcement has a vested interest in maintaining the
status quo of drug prohibition.

Therefore, taxpayers have a vested interest in changing the status quo
of drug prohibition.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.