Pubdate: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2009 El Paso Times Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/formnewsroom Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829 Author: Douglas Agee SOCIAL MALAISE AT CORE OF SOCIETY'S DECLINE Legalization of drugs is not a realistic solution to the drug problem. Drug abuse is a symptom of social malaise brought about by the failure of our government and other institutions to adequately address society's problems. At the national level, we have failed to resolve critical problems that adversely affect the public. Concurrently, many of our political leaders have compromised the public's trust by accepting favors from lobbyists, promoting pork-barrel legislation or sponsoring "earmarks" for favored constituents. We see similar behaviors at the state and local levels, including bribery of governmental officials and "quid pro quo" deals that compromise the integrity of our institutions. The public has begun to perceive these are not isolated incidents but recurring behaviors typical of today's leaders. It is axiomatic that unresolved societal problems, along with the seemingly endless instances of public corruption, create a malaise that causes many people to turn to drugs. We will never solve our drug problem until leaders realize they are part of the problem, not only because of their failure to address society's ills, but also because many of them continue to engage in questionable conduct that compromises their credibility in the eyes of an increasingly disillusioned public. Douglas Agee Northeast El Paso - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin