Pubdate: Tue, 21 May 2002 Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Hacker Press Ltd. Contact: http://www.abbynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155 Author: Timothy Lee Felger PUT AN END TO PROHIBITION Editor, The News: Recently you have witnessed my rallies, seen ground breaking historical events throughout the media; and you might ask yourself why I do what I do, So maybe I can give you some insight. Nearly all the harm done to users and non-users alike by illegal drugs is because the drugs are prohibited. Thousands were poisoned by adulterated booze during prohibition. Thousands more are dying today because of adulterated drugs. If that weren't bad enough, prohibition nurtures crime. Al Capone was created by prohibition, not the other way around. Colombia's drug cartels would have not become as powerful as they are today if drugs had not been prohibited. My prediction is that it will get worst in Abbotsford if we continue along this path of prohibition. The best way to reduce the harm and heartbreak of illegal drugs is to abide by the principles of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and end drug prohibition. Let's legalize all drugs and remove the propaganda and the police from the equation. Let's have the drugs manufactured by knowledgeable, competent organizations who will supply cheap, quality-tested drugs of known purity and potency and who, in order to avoid legal liability, will impart factual drug information to us and our children. There is one more issue to be dealt with. Our government officials, like MPs Randy White and Chuck Strahl and Abbotsford Mayor George Ferguson, have done nothing to address the issue besides lip service. We understand their ignorance of the issue, but their refusal to get educated is becoming embarrassing. I don't consider the Abbotsford Police anything more then armed thugs with mortgage payments who are directly, deeply and inappropriately involved in violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It's difficult to understand why they insist on trying to micro-manage our lives. Chief Ian Mackenzie may have received an award recently by the Governor General in Ottawa, but I feel he has discredited creditable research and has allowed crime to blossom further by igniting the prohibition fire. And we are giving this man an award. Why? Timothy Lee Felger Abbotsford - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom