WAR ON DRUGS HAS BEEN A LOSING PROPOSITION

Dear Editor,

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush declared the
war on terrorism. Not only did this war target al-Qaida and regimes
supporting it, but also targeted the global financial networks that
subsidize the terrorist group.

In less than two years, the United States has ousted the Taliban rulers who
offered safe haven in Afghanistan and has overthrown Saddam Hussein's
regime, while nearly 3,000 al-Qaida members have been detained or arrested
in about 100 countries. More than $130 million in terrorist assets have
been frozen and more than 263 entities are now designated as underwriters
of terror -- frozen out of the world's financial system.

By contrast, victories in the almost two-decade-old war on drugs have been
underwhelming. After billions of taxpayer dollars having been spent, we
still have not reduced the flow of drugs coming into this country.

All we have accomplished is to fill our prisons with low-level, nonviolent
drug offenders who are serving lengthy sentences intended for major drug
"king pins." Meanwhile, major drug traffickers still move their products
into our country, and drug abuse is still a major problem in our society.

Why the stark contrast? For almost two decades have those that run our
country been sleeping with the enemies in the drug war? Are there so many
benefits to be accrued to the wealthy and powerful in America from the
failure of the drug war that those with the power to force the rethinking
of our current policies and make profound changes feel no compulsion nor
see any incentive to do so?

Maybe it's time "we the people" spoke out.

Patricia McCubbin

Nokomis