Pubdate: Fri, 11 Jan 2002
Source: Florida Today (FL)
Copyright: 2002 Florida Today
Contact: http://www.floridatoday.com/forms/services/letters.htm
Website: http://www.flatoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532
Author: Craig Chamberlin

DRUG WAR HAS MANY ENEMIES

The current debate about the drug war so far has missed the point.

The debate should not be about the addictive properties of certain 
substances. Rather, it should address the aggressiveness of 
government in the following areas of your life.

Property rights -- If your body is not your property, then your 
"real" property has no chance against asset forfeiture without due 
process.

Privacy rights -- The regulations on bank accounts and cash 
transactions trample your rights to be secure in your finances.

Patients' rights -- Substance "A" is OK for medicine. Substance "B" 
will get you arrested.

Human rights -- You do not control what goes into your body. Government does.

Gun rights -- High-profit drug crime fuels gun registration and 
confiscation efforts.

Crime -- Black market drug prices promote crime and violent criminal 
enterprises.

Corruption -- The drug war corrupts officials -- government and 
otherwise -- worldwide.

Justice --Mandatory minimum sentences are filling our jails with 
nonviolent people at a cost of $25,000 to $30,000 per person per 
year. Public school kids in Brevard get just $5,800 a year. Check out 
the many positions of the Libertarian Party at our Web site: 
www.lp.org

CRAIG CHAMBERLIN
Cocoa Beach
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MAP posted-by: Josh