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from alt.conspiracy
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As always, Caveat Lector.
Om
K
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<A HREF="aol://5863:126/alt.conspiracy:519946">Just Say No to the War on
Drugs
</A>
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Subject: Just Say No to the War on Drugs
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Michael Ejercito)
Date: Mon, May 3, 1999 7:42 AM
Message-id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Someone once said,"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to
repeat it." It seems that we are repeating history today. Most of our
politicians and lobbyists have not learned from history. They continue to
support a policy that had failed once before. This government policy costs
over thirty billion dollars and has disastrous consequences. This policy
is the War on Drugs .
In 1919,the eighteenth amendment to the United States Constitution was
ratified,which outlawed liquor. The people who supported this hoped it
would stop alcohol abuse. The results were disastrous. These
laws,collectively known as Prohibition,were largely unenforceable,because
people who wanted liquor could get it. Government agents who were assigned
to enforce Prohibition took bribes. Gangs received huge profits from the
sale of illegal liquor. Rivalries between liquor sellers resulted in
bloodshed and violence. Finally,people had enough of Prohibition.
Prohibition was eliminated on a national scale in 1932.
But our politicians and lobbyists have not learned from history.
Today,we have the War on Drugs . And the War on Drugs has the same
consequnces as Prohibition had. One of the consequences are the large
amounts of money being spent on enforcement. Nationally,more than thirty
billion dollars are spent enforcing drug laws. And the benefits the people
of the fruited plain get in return is, at best, marginal. Drug abuse is
still one the major problems in our countries. Entire neighborhoods are
saturated with drugs. This is what we are getting for thirty billion
dollars.
Obviously,some of this thirty billion plus dollars is being used to
fund local police departments and the Drug Enforcement Administration. .
But money is also being spent to prosecute these cases. Prosecution of
drug cases uses up time and money. Our courts are being bogged dowen with
these drug cases. This overload in the American court system delays
trials-another cost of the War on Drugs .
Let us not forget the resources necessary to imprison those people
convicted of drug offenses. It costs over twenty thousand dollars per year
to house a convict. And,at least sixty-one percent of federal prisoners
are serving time for non-violent drug offenses. (U.S Department of
Justice) Because of these convictions,other prisoners are being released
to make room,prisoners who committed crimes that caused direct harm to
people. (Any harm caused by drug use is indirect.) And politicians who do
not know any better want to build more prisons to house these offenders.
Building a new prison costs over one billion dollars.
And if THAT were not enough,we also see a growth of gangs and organized
crime. Organized crime syndicates take in over SIXTY BILLION dollars,most
of it through the sale of illegal drugs. These drug lords use the money to
set up legitimate businesses,which they use to hide the true source of
their revenue. And,just as in the past,rivalries between dealers resulted
in many violent deaths. Drug-ridden neighborhoods have many killings. it
costs money to bury the dead,and it costs money to treat the wounded. This
is yet another cost of the War on Drugs .
Most people support the War on Drugs because they do not know any
better. One of their reasons for supporting the War on Drugs is that
addicts commit crimes such as robbery to support their habits. But they do
not know that drug prohibition has not stopped them. And since robbery is
ALREADY illegal,the government should just enforce laws prohibiting
robbery,instead of adding another redundant law. And,of course,drug
prohibition supporters should consider the crimes committed because of
drug prohibition,as well the the other costs.
It is clear the costs of the War on Drugs outweigh the benefits. It
is a negative-sum game. Fortuantely,many people such as myself know this
fact. California Proposition 215 was passed,even though its opponents said
there were loopholes which would allow people to get marijuana by claiming
to have a medical condition. Apparently,no one who voted YES on that
initiative cared if there were loopholes,because they knew the fallacy of
the War on Drugs . I want everyone in this country to know the fallacy of
the War on Drugs .
Michael
CSULB College Republicans
For Truth,Justice,Freedom,and the American Way
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Subject: Re: Just Say No to the War on Drugs
From: "KM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, May 5, 1999 4:54 AM
Message-id: <7gpf30$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
For more on attorneys and drugs see http://welcome.to/tilt/
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