Letter To The Editor

DRUG FIGHTING GROUP SAYS IT HAS ENOUGH MONEY

This is in response to the article printed 7-25-03 citing that 'drug
fighting dollars have dropped' and that our drug agency is hurting.

Not only is this untrue, but, it is almost hilarious. Our overfed
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics has been living off our tax dollars to
no avail since conception. It originally sounded good on paper to
voters and lawmakers, but in reality, the War On Drugs have been a
complete abysmal failure. Prison population has drastically escalated
in the past few years.

These type of soundbytes are what many politicians base their whole
campaign on. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, can very easily recite
these little sentences hoping to stir the crowd into a frenzy enough
to make them stampede a voting booth. It's the oldest political trick
in the book.

If something that costs as much as the MBN and does not work, then get
rid of it or at least scale it down. Shocking? No. Not to me. I have
been watching, with great interest, the drug policy reform systems of
other countries and they have proven to be undeniably effective.

When drug addiction is treated as a medical problem instead of a
criminal problem, the cost of dealing with the offender is reduced by
two thirds. Yes, two thirds.

When, for example, cannabis was decriminalized and regulated in these
countries the crime element all but diminished. The glamour was taken
away.

I remember when no one could legally obtain Coors beer in Mississippi.
Well, of course, EVERYBODY then wanted it and would go to great
lengths to illegally bring it into this state. Finally, when the deal
was struck that we could then have all the Coors beer that we could
possibly drink, you could literally hear the whooping and hollering
from Biloxi to Holly Springs. This was fabulous news to beer drinkers,
vendors and politicians alike.

Quite predictably, when folks had their fill of this "unattainable
drink" most all soon lost interest in it. This is true when anything
is unattainable.

To those still around who remember prohibition on alcohol, they also
remember the crimes and corruption on all levels including law
enforcement and politicians of state and federal offices. Prohibition
does not work. Our money could be going to so many other well
deserving programs.

It's simple human nature. Anytime you take something away from people,
they will do anything at any cost to obtain it. This has gone on since
the beginning of time and will continue until the end of time. No
agency will stop this. We are spinning our wheels to a tune of
billions of our dollars per year. We are sick to death of paying for
this insane government jobs program.

So, when you hear someone say that our drug agency is hurting, just
know that they have endured for decades quite well off the fat of our
land. Do not let any politician, such as Haley Barbour, tell you
anything different just to obtain your vote.

Anita T. Mayfield

Nettleton