DRUG PROHIBITION NEVER THE ANSWER

Re "City council nixes police call for more troops", April 11-16 issue:

Brilliant! Now one of the negative, unintended consequences of drug
prohibition -- open-air drug markets in this case -- is cited to persuade
us that "drugs are bad" and that we should all continue to support the
program that spawned the problem in the first place.

The fact that you chose not to challenge the authorities on this crap or
allow any input from those of us who oppose this law proves without a
shadow of a doubt that your purpose is to propagandize rather than to inform.

Drug prohibition was initiated almost a century ago to "control" blacks
(marijuana), Chinese (opium) and Mexicans (marijuana). Today, in addition
to stimulating crime, which in turn leads to bloated police budgets, its
purpose remains to distract attention away from government failures in
other areas. Clever judges are much more likely to search for ways to
sidestep the Charter and allow the state to continue to oppress certain
minorities if the law in question has general public support, and such
support will always be there unless and until the awesome power of the
media is used to promote informed debate about oppressive laws such as drug
prohibition instead of badgering the public to support them. Like the U.S.
Marines? Give me a break!

Alan Randell