Pubdate: Thu, 31 Oct 2002
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2002 The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper.
Contact:  http://www.sunspot.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Henry Cohen

'WAR ON DRUGS' IS REAL ENEMY

Several recent letters have blamed drug trafficking for the horrible 
arson-murders allegedly committed by a drug dealer in Baltimore. "To win 
the war on drugs," one writer said, "the ordinary citizens have to decide 
they are not going to take it anymore" ("Rally around ideals the Dawsons 
upheld," letters, Oct. 23).

What we must stop putting up with is the drug war. It should be obvious 
that if drugs were legal these murders would not have occurred.

Liquor dealers generally do not murder people. The more we prosecute the 
drug war, the more murders, robberies, burglaries and shoplifting we will have.

The only way to put illegal drug dealers out of business is to legalize drugs.

Let's face it -- people are not going to stop using drugs. Either we allow 
them to do so safely and help those who become addicted, as we do regarding 
alcohol, or we continue to destroy our society by fighting the drug war.

Henry Cohen

Baltimore
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