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 - ---- 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 - --- MAP posted-by: GD