Pubdate: Fri, 25 May 2001 Source: Texas Observer (TX) Copyright: 2001 The Texas Observer Contact: http://www.texasobserver.org/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/748 Author: Carl Fox DRUG MONEY America should give up it's 'drug war' racket regarding people caught with small amounts of drugs. This war is nothing more than what NBC Nightly News would refer to as 'The Fleecing of America'. Give a small fine to people caught with small amounts of drugs unless they are caught selling it. If a person is determined to get high, they will, even resorting to inhaling gasoline fumes. Bathtub gin was popular during Prohibition. Bust the people selling dope, and leave the rest alone. But, the dope 'war' is too big a 'cash cow' for government to drop, even partially. It keeps the bills of a superfluous amount of judges, lawyers, cops, jailers, etc. paid. Here in Texas counties get X amount of dollars daily from the state for every person incarcerated in their jails. As a result, prisons here and in most of the rest of the country have to release killer drunk drivers, rapists, batterers, etc. earlier than is morally responsible to make room for casual drug users. The real criminals usually resume their lives of crime upon release. The American taxpayer pays the price for the superfluous law enforcers needed to fight this hypocritical 'war'. We often have to pay for the children on welfare of the people caught with small amounts of drugs. We pay again financially, and in more painful ways when the real criminals are let loose back into society. But hey, our government has always been run by lawyers who only tell us the things they want us to hear. P.S. I don't use illicit drugs. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe