U.S. KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE IN AN INEFFECTIVE WAR ON DRUGS

While the world is watching the Middle East, a terrible conflict is going
on in Colombia. U.S. tax payers are paying for most of it.

A terrible feature of the Colombian action is fumigation. Spraying of cocoa
(cocaine) plants is so indiscriminate many other crops are destroyed; even
animals and humans are often poisoned. Colombia is the largest cocaine
producer, so we fumigate their farms. The U.S. is the largest marijuana
producer, so why don't we fumigate our farms? One Colombia observer says:
"Let's get serious about drugs. If fumigation works, let's fumigate parties
where drugs are used, mansions of drug lords and banks where drug money is
laundered."

Peace groups in Colombia report the same patterns that took place in El
Salvador and Guatemala in recent years: military and paramilitary groups
attacking indigenous populations, who are the poor farmers hurt most by
fumigation.

It is that treatment of addicts is many times more effective at reducing
cocaine use than trying to cut off supply. If supply can be cut off one
place, a new source springs up.

In 2001 assassinations of 157 labor leaders took place in Colombia , more
than in the rest of the world. An average of 11 people daily die in
Colombia's civil war, probably comparable to the number in
Israel/Palestine. Most are civilians.

I am angry and saddened that our country kills innocent people in a "war on
drugs" that doesn't work.

Bill Moore

Owensboro