Pubdate: Tue, 29 May 2012
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Howard Mass

THE FUTILITY OF THE WAR ON DRUGS

Your Sunday story about a fatal drug raid in Honduras was eerie in 
its evocation of the war in Vietnam. The photograph of the cops on a 
river could have been the Mekong. The villagers seem like some of the 
2 million Vietnamese killed. The jungle is all around. The DEA agents 
were in the helicopter as advisers, and the area looks like a Free Fire Zone.

In Vietnam, the American paranoia about communism was the motivation 
to attack a small, poor agrarian nation. Now the hysteria is about 
drugs. Americans seem to be afraid of many things, which is strange, 
we are supposed to be brave. Why are we killing so many people, 
ruining so many lives, because of our fear of drugs?

It would be kind and wise to end the suffering caused by the war on 
drugs. If people want to take drugs, let them, live and let live. If 
they become sick and addicted, give them treatment. It is not right 
to inflict this pain on poor people in Mexico and Honduras, just to 
pursue our hopeless prohibition.

Howard Mass, El Cerrito
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