Pubdate: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL) Copyright: 2002 The Sun-Times Co. Contact: http://www.suntimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81 Author: Matthew Parker THE ANSWER: LEGALIZE DRUGS After reading your articles about gangs and drugs, my only reaction is disgust at how wrong-headed the government response to drugs is. Why in the world are we propping up this black market system, allowing street gangs to accrue enormous profits while they visit endless violence on our neighborhoods? At the same time, the government is burning up precious monetary resources playing cat-and-mouse games with drug dealers. That money could be better used solving and preventing real crimes like murder, theft and rape. Crimes where one person hurts another. Yes, drugs are dangerous. But not nearly as dangerous as prohibition. People will die from using them, but not nearly as many as will die from the war on drugs. Why does our government think it knows what is best for all? The fact of the matter is the vast majority of people can do drugs and set them aside whenever they want to, just like most most people do with alcohol. Critics of drug legalization argue that drugs support terrorists. But they never speak the simple truth: Buying drugs can help terrorists only if the drugs are illegal. Terrorists didn't make the drugs illegal, our government did. I wish our elected leaders would have the courage to legalize drugs. Matthew Parker, Lincoln Park - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom