Pubdate: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 Source: Herald, The (SC) Copyright: 2001 The Herald Contact: http://www.heraldonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/369 Author: Richard Wetzel WAR ON DRUGS IS WASTE OF MONEY We need to take a close look at the real reasons that allowed the terrorists to have their way Sept. 11. If we go back to the Reagan/Bush era, we see the "War on Drugs" got put in high gear. They chose to allow legal thievery to take place with the forfeiture laws. They put mandatory sentences into law. They spent trillions to keep drugs out of this nation and the world. They kept us from using hemp to replace our truest addictions of petrochemicals and fossil fuels. They brainwashed us into thinking all this was necessary. Bush's term as head of the CIA surely made him aware of guys like bin Laden and the real threat they posed. The only danger drugs pose are competition for tobacco and alcohol. More people die from aspirin than coke and heroin. The money and jail space wasted on their greed scheme should be used to fight our true enemies on this earth. They want us to stay dependent on synthetic fuels to pollute our air and water. They want us to think we need to employ all the $50,000 plus per year DEA agents to keep us safe from those terrible drugs that were used safely for 10,000 years before they came along. Why not put the farmers on top of the food chain, let the DEA start chasing some real bad guys, and let all the drug offenders out of jail to make room for them? It's none of Bush's business or anyone else's if I want to use natural substances to get a buzz. Richard Wetzel Fort Mill - --- MAP posted-by: Rebel