medpot
08-30-2008, 01:04 PM
Chilliwack Progress (http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/theprogress/opinion/letters/27639019.html)
Letter to Editor (http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/letter_to_editor?contentID=27639019&contentPath=/fraser_valley/theprogress/opinion/letters)
Take drugs out of hands of gangs
Published: August 28, 2008 6:00 PM
I agree that the onus for gangland violence should not rest solely with those who pull the trigger, (“Blood money fuels drug trade (http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/theprogress/opinion/27405359.html),” Aug 25), however, by your logic of blaming illicit drug users for funding organized crime, alcohol drinkers were responsible for Al Capone.
In a way, you are right, but gangs battle over control of the illicit drug trade because we abdicated the market to them so long ago that we have forgotten why.
If we had a magic wand that could make illicit drug users feel guilty for their irresponsible consumerism and switch to alcohol, we would have much less gang violence and property crime, and much more alcohol-fueled domestic violence, suicides, homicides, date rapes and accidents.
However, lacking such a magic wand, the best and only way to deter gangs from fighting over control of the illicit drug trade is to take back control of the market.
There was no prohibition-related violence before prohibition, and the violence ended the day after alcohol prohibition was repealed. We will never make drugs or drug users go away, but we can stop prohibition- related violence by ending prohibition. We need the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Matthew M. Elrod,
Victoria, B.C.
Letter to Editor (http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/letter_to_editor?contentID=27639019&contentPath=/fraser_valley/theprogress/opinion/letters)
Take drugs out of hands of gangs
Published: August 28, 2008 6:00 PM
I agree that the onus for gangland violence should not rest solely with those who pull the trigger, (“Blood money fuels drug trade (http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/theprogress/opinion/27405359.html),” Aug 25), however, by your logic of blaming illicit drug users for funding organized crime, alcohol drinkers were responsible for Al Capone.
In a way, you are right, but gangs battle over control of the illicit drug trade because we abdicated the market to them so long ago that we have forgotten why.
If we had a magic wand that could make illicit drug users feel guilty for their irresponsible consumerism and switch to alcohol, we would have much less gang violence and property crime, and much more alcohol-fueled domestic violence, suicides, homicides, date rapes and accidents.
However, lacking such a magic wand, the best and only way to deter gangs from fighting over control of the illicit drug trade is to take back control of the market.
There was no prohibition-related violence before prohibition, and the violence ended the day after alcohol prohibition was repealed. We will never make drugs or drug users go away, but we can stop prohibition- related violence by ending prohibition. We need the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Matthew M. Elrod,
Victoria, B.C.