HYSTERICAL POLICE SEE DRUG WAR FUNDS SLIPPING AWAY

Re: "New national police group takes in Ottawa," Journal, Aug. 27.

Are these Canadian police or agents of a foreign power?

The police lobbying against reform of the law relating to marijuana is
alarming, being based as it is on myth, propaganda and the cynical
manipulation of the legitimate concern parents might have about
"pushers" selling their children drugs.

The Canadian Police Association made similar representations to The
Canadian senate committee which heard all sides but still concluded
that there was no rational basis for marijuana's illegality in the
first place and said "this is a crusade that has to stop."

Canadian courts regularly hear self-styled police "experts" trained by
the DEA testifying as to how "organized crime" is moving into the
marijuana growing business, but fortunately the courts are beginning
to realize that it is the prohibition of this otherwise freely growing
weed that is producing more harms (including organized crime) than the
drug itself.

The police, increasingly hysterical at their loss of power in the
current trend towards tolerance of marijuana, and also seeing the
possibility of funding for their crusade slipping away, continue to
quote tired old mantras conveniently coined south of the border by the
DEA (where, incidentally, they get much of their brutal SWAT training
and indoctrination).

I note also that the police lobby wants more funds redirected from the
ill-designed gun registry to more "enforcement." That would be nice if
such enforcement were to be at the border and designed to stop the
smuggling of handguns that become involved in approximately 50 per
cent of the weapons crimes committed in Canada each year.

So what's wrong with this picture? Our police jump to a tune called by
the DEA when it comes to the movement of marijuana south to the U.S.,
but remain silent when it comes to the much more dangerous passage of
guns coming in the opposite direction!

A handful of MPs (Dan McTeague, Brenda Chamberlain, Roger Galloway and
Judi Longfeld) were recently castigated for seeking U.S. support to
defeat the Canadian government legislation decriminalizing marijuana.

Perhaps federal Solicitor General Wayne Easter should remind police
that their parroting of the DEA party line is not acceptable from a
Canadian police force.

Brian L. Fish,

Edmonton