Pubdate: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 Source: News & Observer (NC) Website: http://www.news-observer.com/ Address: The People's Forum, P.O. Box 191, Raleigh, N.C. 27602 Contact: 2001 The News and Observer Publishing Company Fax: (919) 829-4872 Author: George Harms LAWS THAT CREATE VIOLENCE Regarding the Feb. 6 People's Forum letter, "Targeting drugs, guns": Drug laws have done more harm to our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness than the use of these drugs. These laws have created and armed our modern gangs, drug cartels and terrorists -- just as Prohibition created the Mafia. The real cause of this crime comes from corrupt public officials who knew from their experience with alcohol prohibition that drug prohibition would create violent crime in our streets. Most of the violent crime associated with drugs comes not from use but from the politically created black market profit syndrome. (Where there's demand, someone will fill this demand for a profit.) The No. 1 enemy to our free existence is unprosecuted, corrupt public officials, using a condition they've created to defraud citizens and weaken the Constitution. The second greatest threat to our liberty are hypocritical liberals proclaiming autonomy over their own bodies as justification to murder unborn children while judging others for what they choose to put in their bodies. I don't know what god you pray to. But, my God teaches, "It's not what enters into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man's mouth is what defiles him," and "I have given you all things." GEORGE HARMS Four Oaks - --- MAP posted-by: Beth