Pubdate: Mon, 27 Aug 2001
Source: Herald-Dispatch, The (WV)
Copyright: 2001 The Herald-Dispatch
Contact: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/hdinfo/letters.html
Website: http://www.hdonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1454
Author: Redford Givens, Bobby Crawford et al
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1513/a08.html

DRUG PROHIBITION IS A COUNTERPRODUCTIVE POLICY

I write in response to your recent Page One, headlined "Bold drug dealers 
rule neighborhood."

Because America's misguided drug crusaders have deceived themselves and the 
public, we are led to believe that outlaw drug dealing is an unavoidable 
fact of life.

What our lunatic drug warriors never mention is that no one was robbing, 
whoring and murdering over drugs when addicts could buy all of the heroin, 
cocaine, morphine, opium and anything else they wanted cheaply and legally.

When drugs were legal, addicts held regular employment, raised decent 
families and were indistinguishable from their teetotaling neighbors. 
Overdoses were virtually unheard of when addicts used cheap pure Bayer 
Heroin instead of the expensive toxic potions that prohibition puts on the 
streets. (See: Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs 
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm.)

Our delirious prohibitionists never admit that their insane drug laws are 
100 percent responsible for street-corner drug dealing and the crime, 
violence and death that go along with it. Without prohibition laws, outlaw 
drug traffickers would be out of business overnight. Anyone having doubts 
only needs to check the history of prohibition.

Huntington City Councilman Larry Patterson admits that he doesn't know how 
to make drug prohibition work, but insists that "the answer isn't doing 
nothing." However, we were better off in every category before drugs were 
outlawed. Drug prohibition is a counterproductive policy that causes a 
hundred times the troubles that drugs by themselves ever did.

The only way to end our self-created drug problems is to end a disastrous 
drug war.

Redford Givens

San Francisco

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NEIGHBORHOOD'S DRUG PROBLEM AFFECTS SCHOOL

We students here at Spring Hill Elementary feel our neighborhood has a 
major drug problem that affects our community. Many students are afraid of 
walking to and from school because they have to walk past drug users and 
dealers. Even when we are at home, it is dangerous to play outside. We 
think police can do a better job. For example, if they could patrol more 
often, maybe our community would be safer. Our neighborhood needs to be 
drug free.

Bobby Crawford, Ian O'Connell, Rosetta Tillet, Courtney Crabtree, Angelina 
Russo, Danielle Turner, Tyler Moore, Mark Chandler and Meranda McComas

Fifth-grade class Spring Hill Elementary
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MAP posted-by: GD