Shawne FitzGerald , speaking of gangs, drugs and violence, stated in part: > Schools and social services aren't going to solve this problem. We need to > put the clan out of business and just as the legalization of alcohol ended > the associated street violence in the 30s, the legalization of drugs would > do that today.
Again, it's legalization vs decriminalization... all drugs aren't created equal-- and politicians need some wiggle room. However, I agree that if you can take the profits out of illicit drugs, there will essentially be an end to the violence. It would become largely a public health issue. Now, a lot of people want no part of that, but I believe it is a fact. Such a simple concept (removing the profit from illicit drugs) quickly becomes a major undertaking however, given the tens of billions invested in the U.S. anti-drug infrastructure and the added tens of billions in annual operating expenses-- the jobs associated with the drug war at the federal, state and local level, etc. The funds pumped into foreign governments. Even the military is on the anti-drug payroll. The war on drugs is a jobs program with a very large constituency, including the arms suppliers to the military and fed/police agencies domestically and abroad. As structured, it is a self-perpetuating infrastructure (with well-paid lobbyists) that does nothing but assure the continuance of the international drug wars, wreaking havoc in foreign countries and our own; as the violence continues to escalate on our streets, and in our neighborhoods. We will never 'win' the drug war the way it is currently being fought. And, by 'win' I mean removing the associated violence that is delivered to ENTIRE neighborhoods across America because of the local demand for illicit drugs. At the local level, here in Mpls., it's just a shell game; pushing the 'drug problem' around from neighborhood to neighborhood, yet containing it, as the violence continues. There was a riot in N. Mpls. last summer when a kid was shot in a police raid on a drug house-- cars were burned, people beat up. The cops were the bad guys in the eyes of many. Now Tyesha is killed on the south side by a stray bullet fired by a gang banger. Many other kids have died for no reason in recent years... just collateral damage from local gang activity. And, it's all drug related... that's the currency... a cash and drug-based neighborhood economy... for too many folks. Change the rules-- Remove the profits! Michael Hohmann Linden Hills _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
