Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 Source: Leduc Representative (CN AB) Copyright: 2011 Osprey Media Contact: http://www.leducrep.com/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx Website: http://www.leducrep.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2265 Author: Paul Champion WE ARE NOT WINNING THE WAR ON DRUGS Editor, I am profoundly saddened and disappointed in our political representation calling for the criminalization of another drug, this time Salvia. We are not winning the war on drugs nor will we ever win that war. The drug merchants make astounding profits, have no rules and a ready and willing market. It would appear that our government has learned nothing from previous grievous errors, namely prohibition. This was a long term unmitigated disaster that turned the ordinary person on the street, who wanted to go home after work and have a drink and relax, into a common criminal and people with grade two educations and a gun into millionaires at the helm of booze smuggling empires. Today we have chosen drugs as the flavour of the day to stamp out. This year alone 30 killings in Edmonton and most them drug related. 3,000 dead in drug wars in Mexico in the last three years. In the United States they have lost count. Drumheller penitentiary is full, 90 per cent drug related. Each and every one of those people who get out of jail have a criminal record and will not likely be able to get meaningful work, and why should you care? Because your tax dollars will being paying for their welfare. Is the world truly too blind to see that a controlled drug environment would be much safer and more lucrative for the government than one run by common thugs or are we just to lazy and accept the status quo and go along with law makers and politicians that are following God only knows who's agenda. In the state of California their government has estimated that 750,000 people are in their jails on non violent drug related charges. Furthermore they estimate that without having those people in prison and the inherent cost keeping them, the cost of enforcing antiquated drug laws and the tax loss on having the drugs legalized for sale would amount to $3.2 billion per year in state income. This does not factor in the tragic and unnecessary loss of human life. This war on drugs will never be won, no more so than was the law on alcohol or the stellar job being done on prostitution. In my opinion the people that should be in jail are the law-makers and the politicians for enabling this travesty of justice. As a point of interest Californians are about to vote on legalizing drugs and will perhaps pass the bill, as have so many other informed countries in the world. The next time someone gets killed over $30 worth of drugs you can say a little prayer that it wasn't one of your family or friends ..... or was it ? If it was, would you still say damn good law, I'm sure they're winning the war ! Paul Champion Calmar - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.