Published LTE: 29 January 2011 : Columbia Daily Tribune, MO – FAILED DRUG POLICY SHOULD BE REVERSED

Pubdate: Sat, 29 Jan 2011
 

Editor, the Tribune: As a retired police detective who worked in the trenches of the drug war for 18 years, I heartily agree with Hank Waters that we need to repeal this modern prohibition.  Drug prohibition has increased crime, death, disease and quite probably drug use.  I could not see one positive outcome from my position in the trenches.  The slaughter of innocents at birthday parties in Mexico merits a shrug from us.  We don’t care enough to change policy.

I, for one, have faith that few Americans of any age are going to start using heroin or meth or crack if you made them legal and regulated.  We are not as stupid as police chiefs, sheriffs and politicians say we are.  And if I am wrong, we can always go back to the drug war.  As our “thin blue line” gets thinner in Missouri, do you really want us to chase the likes of Willie Nelson and Rush Limbaugh?

Howard Wooldridge
Washington, DC