Show Letters to Editor f r f Just say no just doesn't cut it L L 2 L. L Dear Editor Drugs are a problem in our culture Conscious of the problem our ever vigilant law makers have sought to quell the tide of drugs through legislation pouring huge amounts of tax dollars into the Drug Enforcement Administration The hope is to encourage Americans to Just say NO This is to be sure a great and worthy desire Surely a drug free society would be healthier more productive and probably a happier society However it is time to take an honest and objective look at the methods that we employ to stop drugs and the real results they bring about I believe that the propellant propellant propellant propel- propel lant behind this grave problem is the very means by which we seek to overcome Our moralist law makers and politicians publicize the problem aspects of drugs to frighten the public into supporting supporting supporting sup sup- porting a War Against Drugs They fail to come to grips with the fact that legislating legislating legislating legis legis- lating morality is not pos pos- sible Matters of nature nature na na- nature ture what we do with our own bodies are just that personal Moreover laws unfortunately unfortunately unfortunately do not stop drugs They dont don't even slow them down Conversely in an ugly twist the so-called so war against drugs has become the best thing that ever happened happened happened hap hap- for the drug trade The of drugs has succeeded only in inflating the cost of drugs by about to percent This has created a profit margin margin margin mar mar- gin so huge that these drugs have become the number one cash crops for some third world countries In the world that that- we live in th the people of many countries find it difficult if not impossible to make even enough money to feed th their ir children The creation of such a huge profit potential has insured an equally huge pool of people willing to take the risk of ot cultivation transportation and distribution distribution distribution tion of drugs The so-called so crusaders against drugs have organized paid for and executed the most effective interesting arousing advertising campaign campaign campaign cam cam- that hat any product has ever seen I can remember when I Iwas Iwas Iwas was a kid the production of Jesus Christ Superstar came to town The church strongly urged church members to avo avoid d it like the plague So adamant were er the admonitions admonitions' of f. f the church that the production of Jesus Christ Superstar became one of the top gross ing productions to ever perform perform perform per per- form in Salt Lake City You cant can't watch TV for more than a few minutes before you see some sort of drug anti-drug commercial TV specials series and movies have hav created a sort ort Q of Miami Vice mentality among viewers This is frightening in light of enigmatic line that separates drug dealers and law enforcers This series actually actually actually ac ac- ac- ac aired a number of episodes wherein the chief drug enforcer Detective Crockett after losing his memory actually became a drug king He was responsible for among other things the distribution of huge quantities of drugs and countless murders Two of his victims were if you can believe it fellow officers Just say NO says Nancy N Now w you tell m me what other person would this generation of youths be more likely to defy This naive approach to drug control has succeeded in creating a generation that js js following the advice of f a a. disturbing bumper sticker that I saw recently that said Just say YO If we are to stem the tide of drug abuse we must decriminalize and deroman- deroman drug use Responsible com companies must be allowed to produce drugs for a fair and reasonable price and stock them on the shelf right next to the hemorrhoid ointment where they belong In one fell swoop we could eliminate a huge portion portion portion por por- tion of the related drug-related crime that plagues this great country There would be no need for illegal cultivation smuggling distribution or orthe orthe orthe the countless millions of tax dollars that we spend trying to stop it Furthermore there would be no need for the wholesale murder and thievery by addicts who are trying to support their habit when the object of their addiction addiction addiction ad ad- diction is available for only a afew afew afew few dollars per day We could instantly put an end to the building up of vast empires for the slime bags who are selling death to our kids by simply taking away their profit incentive That kind of makes you wonder why our politicians are so adamant about keeping keeping keeping keep keep- ing drugs illegal doesn't it The role of government is to todo todo todo do for the people what the people cannot do for them them- selves I believe the vast majority of us have both the brains and the guts to make our own decisions that are in inbur inbur bur our own best interest Just say NO Unequivocally Unequivocally Unequivocally cally unmistakable absolutely absolute absolute- ly yes But its it's time to GROW UP AMERICA We must begin to stand under our own power and face the enemies of our lives We must be Informed informed informed in in- formed and aware But above all we must take responsibility responsibility responsibility for our lives and realize realize realize real real- ize that ultimately we are the master of our own destinies Signed Jordan Hale |