WAR ON DRUGS RUINOUS

The News lost an opportunity when it published the reprised "Super Bowl
anti-drug" ad on Feb. 5.

Had I been the publisher of the News I, too, would have run the ad; but I
would have also have published an op-ed piece pointing out the myriad
logical flaws in the ad. Here is my (unfortunately abbreviated) op-ed piece:

The claim that drug users fund terrorism is equivalent to claiming that
people who drive cars fund terrorists because Iraq illegally sells gasoline.

What funds terrorists and other criminals is that there is so much money to
be made from the inflated price of illegal drugs.

The U.S. spends at least $50 billion per year to fight the War on Drugs.
Twenty percent of Colorado's prisoners are "drug offenders." We spend $100
million per year incarcerating these people.

As governor, I would attempt to pardon every non-violent drug offender,
thus freeing up a lot of money, reducing violence and restoring individual
freedom.

Ralph Shnelvar Libertarian candidate for governor Boulder