Pubdate: Thu, 18 Oct 2001
Source: Savannah Morning News (GA)
Copyright: 2001 Savannah Morning News
Contact:  http://www.savannahnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401
Author: Gerry Deeney
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)

LET'S TREAT DRUG-BUYING AS AN UN-AMERICAN ACT

After reading Norah Vincent's interesting Oct. 5 commentary, "America's war 
on terrorism has no better chance of success than its war on drugs," I 
would like to suggest a possible solution.

Ms. Vincent irrefutably stated that we have lost the drug war because we 
have not quelled the demand side of the problem. In that regard, I feel 
that we have a situation right now with two predominant factors:

* Patriotism in the United States is currently at an all-time high.

* The main source of the terrorists' funds come from the supply of drug money.

Why don't we have a national campaign to treat the purchase of drugs as a 
severely unpatriotic act? It could start by having movie actors and 
actresses appear in television ads swearing that they will never again use 
drugs because it supplies ammunition to the terrorists.

That would send the right message from Hollywood, and if it ever caught on 
could make a major difference, especially with our impressionable youth, 
who seem to hold most actors in such high esteem.

GERRY DEENEY
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