THE STEPS COLOMBIA, U.S. SHOULD TAKE

Re: The steps Colombia needs to take, editorial, April 5.

If terrorism is supported by drugs, the obvious conclusion for me is
to eliminate the profitability of any group that is opposing life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness anywhere in the world: Make their
commodity obsolete.

For instance, oil supports terrorism, apparently. Steps to take: Ban
SUVs, allocate money to fund research into hydrogen-powered engines,
provide tax credits to people who purchase such vehicles, mandate
higher fuel efficiency standards, etc. This is not rocket science.

If you want to eliminate drug dealers in this country, set up
state-controlled and operated stores that sell to 21-year-olds at half
the black-market rate. Within a week, all the drug dealers will find
something else to do.

If you want to eliminate guerrillas in Colombia, cut them out and
purchase the cocoa from the farmers directly. Instead, we send CIA
operatives down there to fly around and spray toxic herbicides on
villages of poor people just struggling to feed their families.

The Colombian government has an atrocious human rights record . . .
why should we support the supposed "good guys" over the guerrillas?
Both torture and murder.

ANTHONY LORENZO
Tampa