Pubdate: Tue, 22 Aug 2000
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: The Vancouver Sun 2000
Contact:  200 Granville Street, Ste.#1, Vancouver BC V6C 3N3
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Website: http://www.vancouversun.com/
Authors: Chris Buors, Bessie Luteyn and Christopher Joseph
Note: 3 PUB LTEs
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1195/a09.html

CRIME PROBLEM IS PROHIBITION

Chad Skelton does a great job of perpetuating the myth of drug crime (The 
four-per-centers: our real crime problem, Aug. 19). It is the drug laws 
that generate all the crime.

"Control language and you control mankind," said George Orwell. To control 
what drug a man may put in his body it is necessary to control what ideas a 
man may put in his head. The language of the "drug problem" is a legislated 
lie. The theory of addiction has never been proven.

The chief psychiatric disorder before addiction came along to take its 
place was masturbatory insanity. The best minds in science, in medicine and 
in the media believed in that myth as well. Addictions are culturally 
conditioned stigmatizing terms.

Addiction is a moral judgment, not medical diagnosis.

Thanks for letting us see all the pain and suffering the true victims of 
drug prohibition suffer when drug-law related crime knocks on their door. 
The sooner we end drug prohibition the sooner vice will no longer be 
counted in crime statistics.

Chris Buors, Winnipeg

~~~

It has been concluded that drug addicts cause a major amount of criminal 
activity harming innocent people.

The debate would be put into clearer focus if our members of Parliament had 
their houses broken into and trashed, their cars stolen, not forgetting to 
add to the mix a dose of violence, terror and fear for their lives.

Maybe then our legislators will find the solution to alleviating the 
problem that emanates from that source: Government controlled free drugs to 
addicts. Otherwise this horrible story will never end, something everyone 
seems to know except for our "duly elected".

For shame.

Bessie Luteyn, Vancouver

~~~

So let's get this one straight: A juvenile offender is put in a cell with 
hardened criminals, and instead of being rehabilitated, he is turned into a 
career criminal because someone can't keep highly addictive, illegal drugs 
out of a prison?

It seems that you should do something with the justice system. They're 
creating government jobs, when instead, they should be working toward 
putting themselves out of business. Taking prohibition into consideration, 
do you think a registered addict with a maintenance prescription would need 
to steal to support a habit if his drugs were paid for?

It's less expensive than warehousing them in jail, and they won't be 
breaking and entering to support their habit. They'll be worked off the 
chemicals by a physician, and hopefully will rejoin society, as alcoholics 
do. After all, they're still human.

Christopher Joseph, Parma, Ohio
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