SECOND MOTION ON DRUG WAR

I'm writing about the outstanding letter from Edwin L. Stickney, MD:
"Keep Clawson, stop the drug war" ( April 5 ).

The so-called war on drugs was lost before it began. No matter how
much money we throw down the drug war rat hole, we will never be able
to nullify the immutable law of supply and demand. As long as people
want recreational drugs and they are willing to pay a substantial
price for the drugs, somebody will produce them and somebody else
will get the drugs to the willing buyers.

This much we can guarantee.

Almost 100 percent of our so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by
our drug prohibition policies -- not the drugs themselves.

If we were to re-legalize all of our now illegal drugs would this
eliminate our drug problems? No.

However, it would greatly reduce our crime problems. Once drugs are
re-legalized, they then can be regulated and controlled.

Once drugs are regulated and controlled we can then work on reducing
our drug problems.

Will we ever be able to eliminate our drug problems? No. However, we
can substantially reduce the harm caused by our now illegal
drugs. Regulated and controlled drugs would be of known purity,
known potency and known quality - just the opposite of our bootleg,
black market drugs of today.

What message would we send to children if we re-legalized all now
illegal drugs so they can be sold in licensed, regulated and taxed
business establishments? The same message we send to children when we
allow for other "unapproved" products like alcohol and tobacco
products in licensed, regulated and taxed business establishments.

A free country's government cannot protect its adult citizens from
themselves. A free country's government has no right attempting to do so.

KIRK MUSE

Mesa, Ariz.