DRUG DEALER SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED TO THE INNOCENT

Editor, The Times:

Re: Stop the War on Drugs, Nov. 12, 2001

I agree with the letter to the editor from Alan Randell that the war on
drugs is a failure. That begs the question of if it should be fought or
not, and how.

It may be a main source of funds for terrorists, but he will have to define
terrorist. If it is unconstitutional I am sure it will be fought in the
courts. I doubt it is designed by the state "to ruin the lives of the
innocent few who happen to enjoy certain drugs."

I think the war on drugs is misdirected. Distinctions should be drawn
between users and pushers, the type of drug and the age of the people involved.

An adult committing crime to feed a crack habit needs serious medical help,
not incarceration. A youth smoking pot behind the shed needs discipline and
correction.

I have heard anecdotal stories only, but is it fair that students be
suspended from school for having pot while the adults supplier faces no
consequences?

I draw distinctions between dealers as well. Selling pot to adults, for me,
is not a problem. I would prefer to see it legalized and taxed rather than
spending tax money searching for plantations and charging the growers. It
is like prohibition of alcohol in the States. A criminal element gets
involved, the product is unregulated and potentially dangerous, money is
spent by the state trying to stop it when it could be regulating and taxing it.

Selling hard drugs is another case entirely. These drugs will ruin lives.
Users will commit desperate acts to feed their habits. They overdose and
die. People who deal hard drugs should not be tolerated. They are taking
advantage of people's weaknesses and vulnerabilities for their own profit.
They drain off everything the addict has worked for and supply them with
substances that will kill them.

The pushers know this and they don't care. They don't care about the people
they sell drugs to, they don't care about me, you or any of our children.
So, I wonder if Mr. Randell's analogies are not misdirected. Who is ruining
lives? Who are the innocent few?

I would not continue his analogy to suggest that anyone should be hung,
lynched or gassed, as it would be an affront to the memories of the
"witches ... blacks ... (and) Jews" to group them with people dealing hard
drugs. A more accurate analogy might be that a crack dealer gets his victim
to come to him, remove his own gold teeth and pay to go to the oven. The
Nazis had to round the innocent up, murder them and remove their gold
fillings last.

Robert Taylor

Clearwater, B.C.