Pubdate: Sun, 3 Sep 2000
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/
Address: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265
Contact:  2000 The Dallas Morning News
Forum: http://forums.dallasnews.com:81/webx
Fax: (972) 263-0456
Author:  Louis J. Polito

THIS CRIME ISN'T VICTIMLESS

To those who think drug usage is a victimless crime if your usage
doesn't directly affect family, friends or neighbors, consider these
points:

1) Many enforcers of drug laws have been and are being killed. Take
the situation in Colombia. "Gen. Rosso Jose Serrano recently retired
because the battle against drugs, kidnapping and guerrilla violence
has taken too many lives. 'I've seen so many police officers funerals,
I can't bear another,'" (Dallas Morning News, June 14).

2) Strained relations between user and supplier countries.

3) Billions of tax dollars spent policing drug trafficking.

Obviously, if there were no users, these crimes, physical and moral,
would not have occurred.

LOUIS J. POLITO, Carrollton
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