Pubdate: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH) Copyright: 2013 The Columbus Dispatch Contact: http://www.dispatch.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93 Author: Steven H. Spring Page: 20 DRUG PROHIBITION IS TRUE SOURCE OF VIOLENCE While reading the April 5 letter "Make life tougher for the lawbreakers" from Jeff Rickel, I laughed when I read his conclusion, "Stop the drug flow and most of the gun violence will end." Rickel placed blame for America's love affair with guns and their associated violence on illegal drugs, which is like blaming a child's teacher for the failing grade. Every day in America, on average, 289 people are shot. Eighty-six of those people die. Of these, 30 are murdered, 53 commit suicide, two are shot accidentally and one person dies after being shot by the police. I agree with Rickel that violence is definitely associated with the illegal drug trade, but it is not the drugs that are the source of the violence; it is their illegality. Look back to this nation's other attempt to outlaw its citizens' craving of mind-altering substances, specifically alcohol. During Prohibition, organized crime and corruption became rampant and shoot-outs involving gangsters armed with automatic weapons, especially the Thompson submachine gun, were so prevalent that Congress passed the National Firearms Act on June 26, 1934, outlawing ownership of automatic weapons. In the past 100 years, many nations have attempted to prohibit the use of both alcohol and drugs, to no avail. People always will find a way to pursue their vices. President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs in 1971, and 40 years later, what are the results? Billions of dollars wasted, and the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. When the Reagan administration began using the CIA and the U.S. military in an attempt to stop the flow of drugs into the country, the drug cartels soon realized it was much easier and far more lucrative to import pounds of cocaine instead of tons of marijuana. The end result was the cocaine-and-crack epidemic of the 1980s. I am not condoning the use of any drugs, including alcohol. However, to incarcerate one adult for smoking a joint while another drinks a Martini is asinine. All prohibition does is to drive up the price and bring in the criminal element. History proves time and again that the prohibition of anything never has worked. STEVEN H. SPRING South Charleston - --- MAP posted-by: Matt