Pubdate: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 Source: Chillicothe Gazette (OH) Copyright: 2007 Chillicothe Gazette Contact: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/customerservice/contactus.html Website: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2749 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n223/a07.html Author: Kirk Muse Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) LEGALIZATION WOULD BRING PEACEFUL END TO WAR ON DRUGS Editor, the Gazette: I'm writing about Beverly Rutherford's letter, "War has gone on for too long." I agree the drug war has gone on too long. The answer to our "drug problem" is to re-legalize our now "unapproved" products so they can be sold in legal, licensed, regulated and taxed business establishments. Then drug dealers as we know them today will go out of business for economic reasons - just as the bootleg alcohol dealers went out of business for economic reasons when we re-legalized alcohol in 1933. Of course, some will claim we will be sending the wrong message to our children. The message will be the same message we send to our children when we allow alcohol and tobacco products to be sold in licensed, regulated and taxed business establishments. That our government cannot protect adult citizens from themselves and our government has no right attempting to do so. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman