ANOTHER LOAD OF PROPAGANDA TO SHORE UP PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR DRUG PROHIBITION

Re: Charges Laid But Drug Fight Far From Over, Medicine Hat News, June 27.

Here we go again. Another load of propaganda served up by the media to
shore up public support for drug prohibition -- a Hitler-like diversionary
tactic implemented by government to entertain the majority by crushing an
innocent minority, those who use or sell certain drugs. It is propaganda
because, as usual, you allow no input from those of us who oppose these
ridiculous laws.

First things first, why do governments ban certain drugs?

It can't be to protect users because banning a drug always leads to more
deaths amongst users, not fewer, because of adulterated drugs. My wife and
I became well acquainted with that aspect of government policy when we lost
our 19-year-old son to street heroin in 1993. The harm argument is
irrelevant because two of our more harmful drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are
legal.

It can't be to reduce the crime associated with drugs because banning a
drug always gives rise to more crime than when the drug is legally available.

So what else could it be other than a program to distract attention away
from more important issues by conducting a brutal pogrom, first to
ostracize and then to destroy the innocent few who ingest or sell certain
drugs?

How did the politicians win our approval, or at least our acceptance, of
such a manifestly evil crusade?

Because the media support it.

First, you immerse us in a torrent of "objective" accounts of the mayhem
without allowing your readers to hear the voices of the victims or of those
like me who oppose these laws. Gradually we are persuaded "they only have
themselves to blame." We shrug and turn the page.

Second, you never miss an opportunity to allow those who profit from the
drug laws (cops, drug experts, prosecutors, politicians) to tell their
stories while allowing only the occasional letter from those who oppose the
law. This is just one example of our media's penchant for serving up
propaganda masquerading as news when it comes to promoting drug prohibition.

Why do the media support a brutal government pogrom like our drug laws? I
can only surmise that tragedy, suffering and war sell more newspapers and
lead to higher TV ratings than happiness, contentment and peace.

Abraham Lincoln was wrong. You don't have to fool all the people all the
time in order to oppress the people. All that is required is for the
majority to be fooled all the time, and sadly, that task is child's play
once you have the media behind you.

Alan Randell

Victoria