WE ARE THE MANY CASUALTIES OF THIS ONGOING WAR ON POT

Editor:

I am writing in response to Paul Wilcocks' insightful column entry Don't
Listen to the Drug Czar."

Despite the overzealous reaction of our Drug Czar, Canada's recent push for
sensible decriminalization policies gives hope to many U.S. citizens, like
myself, who are fighting a war we never declared.

Our casualty list is a poignant reflection of our national diversity. We
are sick and dying patients denied access to medical cannabis. We are
children wounded in the crossfire between black market profiteers and law
enforcement officials. We are innocent citizens killed by police in our own
homes during faulty drug raids. We are police officers tortured and
murdered over black-market profits We are taxpayers who spend $40 billion
annually to fight a war that can never be won. We are people who die
addicted or imprisoned because most of our government resources are spent
on law enforcement versus treatment.

After thirty years of perpetually escalating sentences and draconian
policies, we've lost more of our citizens here at home than we ever did in
Iraq.

Despite this devastating human carnage, illegal drugs are still readily
available on any given street corner in America. This is the terrible
result of attempting to treat a public health problem as a criminal justice
issue.

I hope Canadian officials will protect their national autonomy and support
drug policy reform. The retroactive eye of history may regard them as
progressive innovators who took a courageous stand despite international
pressure.

Christopher Largen Denton, Texas