Pubdate: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ) Copyright: 2006 East Valley Tribune. Contact: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708 Author: Kirk Muse Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1173/a01.html WINNING THE DRUG WAR I'm writing about Bill Richardson's thoughtful column on Sept 1: "Drug gangs' impact". The only way to effectively deal with the drug cartels is to put them out of business. The only way this can be accomplished is to regulate, control and tax the products that they deal in. And this can only be accomplished with legalization. Only legal products of any kind can be regulated, controlled and taxed by any government. Of course, the drug war cheerleaders will claim that legalizing our now illegal drugs will be giving into the drug dealers and drug lords. When we re-legalized alcohol in 1933 did we give into the alcohol cartels? No. We put them out of business. Arresting and jailing a drug dealer or even the head of a drug cartel has the effect similar to cutting off the top of a weed. It will grow back--stronger than ever. The only way to get rid of any weed is to kill the root--and the root of our drug problem is: prohibition. Kirk Muse Mesa - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin