DECRIMINALIZE DRUGS AND NATION WILL BE CRIME-FREE

Insane To Punish Non-Violent Drug Offenders Worse Than Violent
Criminals.

Editor, Commonwealth:

This is in response to the Aug. 5 column, "Drugs and the family
unit."

The author (Charles Dunagin) started his story by referring to a scene
in the movie, "The Godfather," with the characters discussing the pros
and cons of getting into the illegal drug business, which was set in
the 1940s. The movie and its content is just that: a movie.

Of course the Italian Mafia and every other organized crime group,
including our government, got into the illegal drug business since
prohibition had been lifted off alcohol. There was no longer money to
made off this "unattainable drink." In 1937, some very powerful,
greedy politicians and their cronies made hemp illegal for their gain.
Here comes the big money to be made.

The main players in this real life story are William Randolph Hearst,
newspaper and magazine tycoon; Andrew Mellon, secretary of the
Treasury and founder of the Gulf Oil Corp.; Harry Anslinger,
nephew-in-law of Mellon; Dupont Chemical Corp. and a handful of other
bureaucrats.

Since the outlaw of hemp and every other drug that major
pharmaceutical companies can't put their label on, our society has
gone to hell in a handbag. No other country can come close to the
crime and incarceration rate as ours. We have become such a sick
society that we will punish a non-violent drug offender more harshly
than we will a murderer, rapist and child molester. This is insanity
at its finest.

Until this complete failure known as "The war on drugs" is eradicated,
things will only get worse. Our children will suffer from these
treasonous acts for generations to come. Almost all crimes are
drug-related; not because the drugs are there (they always will be),
but because they are illegal. You take away the crime element, and we
will virtually be a crime-free nation. This is a concept our
generation cannot grasp: crime-free. We can only imagine it, but it
can become a reality if we make it happen.

Laws are interchangeable and so are the politicians. These are our
"elected" officials. Investigate these people and vote. Encourage
others to become registered voters and then encourage them to vote.
Politicians do not like informed voters but they do like your vote;
they mainly like to spew sound bites that get folks stirred up into a
voting booth frenzy. Anyone can do this, and its the oldest political
trick in the book. Know who you are voting for and vote. You matter.
Let's take America back; it is ours.

Anita T. Mayfield

Nettleton