Pubdate: Wed, 29 Mar 2006
Source: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Copyright: 2006 Courier-Post
Contact:  http://www.courierpostonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/826
Author: Earl Foster
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

DON'T LEGALIZE

Re: "Activist preaches drug legalization" (C-P, March 19).

I don't see how anyone can figure that, by legalizing, taxing or 
regulating the sale of drugs, we will eliminate the violence 
associated with them.

A recent proposal to Camden political leaders was aimed at this idea, 
and I think it is absurd. If you have gangs or cartels selling 
illegal drugs openly on the streets and violence is part of their 
game and marketing strategy, how will legalizing drugs stop this 
violence? It's a lucrative business for them.

Drug dealers eliminate the competition through murder to make their 
money. If the government legalizes the sale of drugs, taxes it and 
regulates it, it will only make it harder for drug dealers to get 
their money since drug prices will probably go down. The result will 
be that violence will increase as gangs struggle for their piece of the market.

Granted, the so called "war on drugs" is not working. Fancy slogans 
such as "just say no" don't work either." A young man can work hard 
for the minimum wage or make hundreds of dollars quickly, doing 
little. Do you honestly think they will say no?

With an overcrowded prison system and backlogged judicial system, the 
consequences of being caught selling drugs are too lenient, and drug 
dealers know it. The consequences for dealers should be much more 
severe to make selling not worth the risk.

You can't risk police officers' lives to take dealers off the streets 
only to put the dealers right back on the streets.

Legalizing drugs would only make an extremely competitive market more 
competitive.

EARL FOSTER

Brooklawn
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman