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 - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman