Pubdate: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 The Abbotsford Times Contact: http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009 Author: Tim Felger Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) GIVE HARM REDUCTION CHANCE TO WORK Editor, The Times: I enjoyed the mock gun duel picture of Christina Toth and Ken Henry [Page 3, Abbotsford-Mission Times, Nov. 18]. The picture shows that Christina is not only beautiful and intelligent, but that she has a sense of humour. As for the letter by June Wilkinson that she does not like all the gun violence, then end the drug war. Declare peace. Drug prohibition manufactures crime, street-level prostitution and violence. Until the new city council accepts a presentation on harm reduction, the violence will continue to escalate. The addicted and homeless will continue to suffer. The Abbotsford police act as "price supports" for organized crime when they take supply off the market. If the outgoing city council would not have spent so much money fighting the marijuana war we could have paid cash for the Capital Legacy Plan projects. This new city council has to decide if they want to purchase more guns and violence or social programs and peace. When you start paying the 40 per cent tax increase because city council decides to hire more cops, build the legacy plan and ignore the homeless, remember the legacy plan has something for everybody, except in this most Christian town, shelter for the homeless. I really did not mind the candidates trying to "out-Jesus" each other, but you would think that somebody would have mentioned the homeless have no bathrooms. Why is it so hard for this town to grasp the concept that drug prohibition kills community pride, hope of the disavantaged and humanity? If you do not like the gun violence, end the drug war. Tim Felger Abbotsford - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman