'WAR ON DRUGS' HAS BEEN A FARCE

I am glad the two sergeants injured in the Aug. 7 helicopter crash lived
through the experience. But instead of concentrating on what went wrong, we
need to question why these lives are being risked in the first place. It is
common knowledge that our efforts at eradicating marijuana (or any other
drug) are symbolic in nature and have no real effect on the economics of
the drug trade. So why do they continue?

Marijuana and many other "hard drugs" aren't even a blip on the radar
screen of destructiveness when compared to alcohol, especially when you
factor out the inherent criminality associated with the black market
distribution of said drugs. The answer lies mostly in economics.
Corrections facilities are big business these days, and there has to be
justification for all the money spent on building and staffing these
facilities.

No career politician in his or her right mind is going to do the right
thing and endorse drug decriminalization when it is going to cost jobs
amongst their constituency, and likely votes at election time.

The "War on Drugs" is a punitive and economic war against American citizens
that needs to be acknowledged for the farce that it is. The illegality of
drugs is responsible for far more criminal behavior than the drugs themselves.

Our resources at all levels would be more appropriately allocated toward
apprehending and incarcerating perpetrators of violent crime, and
protecting our children from predators.

Greg Looney, Springfield