SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Legalizing drugs will only make addiction grow"

Zell Zordel:
"Why is it that when the debate about legalizing drugs is mentioned, the drug war card is played? That's because it's a crutch. Now that it is out, let us address it.

Yes, America is encouraging other countries to participate in the drug war, with $40 trillion spent since 1971. In 2010 alone, the U.S. government spent $15 billion. The reason those laws were passed is because drugs were killing Americans. With the first laws passed in 1885, this is not just a 40-year-old issue.

Those are facts. Let's look at a few others.

My original letter of May 19 was about the real potential in human lives lost. I compared it to the very real and highly used drug, alcohol. I used that baseline to show the ever-so-likely outcome we would experience if we legalized drugs. I pointed out that all of the negative criminal impacts will not go away.

Mr. Kirchenwitz, in his May 24 response, commented that “any drug use in and of itself is generally non-violent.” I suggest he ask any law enforcement officer who has ever had to deal with a violent suspect what was driving the destructive intent. Most will respond with drug use or alcohol.

Remember, drug usage is still currently at a low level. Legalization will only increase the number of addictions due to easier access....." (Read more?  Click title)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "The dangers of legalizing drugs"

Zell Zordel:
"I read your article that described the graphic detail of 49 dismembered bodies found in Mexico that were tied to the drug cartel wars which have been happening since 2006.

The author's state that 47,500 people have perished in drug-related violence so far. It should be pointed out that this does not include the other deaths related to drugs; the thousands of overdoses, suicides, families destroyed, and violent crime that occurs here in the U.S. every year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2009, the number of deaths attributed to drugs exceeded those caused by motor vehicle accidents, killing 37,485. To put that in perspective, the total American casualties in the war on terror to date: Afghanistan: 1,969, Iraq: 4,486. The 18 years of Vietnam, 1957-1975, with a total of 58,156 deaths shows how severe the drug problem truly is.

I am told that drugs are a “victimless crime” by the people that are trying to legalize them. It has been proven multiple times that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder and harder substances.

Government regulation will not make any of these things disappear. We have seen what government regulation has done with regards to alcohol consumption. The Bureau of Justice stated that 73 percent of felonies involve alcohol. What would be the same statistic for legalizing drugs?

We are still talking about addiction fueled crimes here. The only difference is what substance is used. You still have a downward spiral that includes the medical industry on the verge of collapse and the drug cartels still being involved because their product would be cheaper than the highly regulated products provided by the government. This still does not address the other crimes that accompany it, such as human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping and many others....."  (Read more?  Click title)

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