Pubdate: Tue, 09 Oct 2001
Source: Times-Picayune, The (LA)
Copyright: 2001 The Times-Picayune
Contact:  http://www.timespicayune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/848
Author: Carl Welch
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)

WE CAN WIN

Re: "Sorry, this may be a war we can't win" (Other Opinions, Oct. 8):

As an anthropologist and pragmatic realist, I have to differ from the 
opinion offered by Norah Vincent.

The two situations (the drug war and the war on terrorism) are not the 
same. The war on drugs is not winnable, because there are, at last count, 
over 100 million Americans who have used or are now using illegal drugs. 
The government has made sure that there is only one voice heard in this 
situation: that of the fanatical anti-legalization crowd.

Those in favor of legalization are ostracized, silenced, harassed and fired 
through the unconstitutional use of drug testing. Most Americans using 
drugs are afraid to voice their opinion.

On the other hand, almost every American as well as almost every person on 
this planet supports the war against terrorism. We all believe that the war 
is just and shall be won.

Sure, there will remain a few people to wage this idiocy, but they will be 
a much smaller group and easier to get to than they are now.

And they will lack the enormous amounts of money that had been available to 
those in groups like al-Qaida. No sane person will want to support these 
fanatics in the future.

Carl Welch

Slidell
- ---
MAP posted-by: GD