OUR COUNTRY, OUR CHOICE

The statements and actions of United States officials regarding the Canadian
government contemplation of marijuana decriminalisation is yet another
manifestation of a growing problem - the belief by U.S. officials that they
can bully the leaders of other nations into doing things the "American Way."

Nevertheless, this is the last gasp of the Drug Warriors in the U.S.A. In
1998, Newt Gingrich (until recently, a still respected figure in
conservative U.S. politics) stated his firm belief that by this year, the
War on Drugs would succeed or fail, and that it was imperative that the U.S.
take all necessary steps to achieve success.

By any measure, the War on Drugs has failed - even by the Drug Warriors' own
measurements.

Thus, the latest actions by the U.S.A. actually represent the growing
realisation by the Drug Warriors that more extreme steps will need to be
taken - and as they move to extremes, the population at large will grow ever
more unsympathetic.

Just to give one example, there has been widespread derision of the ads
which claim that purchasing drugs supports terrorism. I doubt this would
have been the case 10 years ago.

Canada's officials and population should not allow their resolve to be
weakened by the Drug Warriors. We are right and they are wrong and soon the
world will be free of the scourge of people being criminalised because of
what they choose to put into their bodies.

David Cross