Re: Off Topic: The Insane War on Drugs

[Margaret Tarbet <tarbet@swaa.com>]

Laura wrote:

>I do have to disagree with you on one point, here:  although peer pressure
>might drop under your legalization scenario, there's still the problem of
>the poor urban folk -- mostly young, mostly Black (although increasingly
>Latino) -- who STILL won't have the $$ to buy it legally, so will probably
>resort to robbery, murder to get it, especially if they're already hooked
>into the habit, of either taking or the rush/thrill of selling/pandering it.
>It's hard to eliminate the profit motive (and associated violence) in areas
>like this, because $$ is the crucial factor (or lack of, as the case may
>be).

Laura, i think i have to disagree with you (that's a first! :-)   We
don't see anyone committing crimes to buy booze, do we?  I believe
the same dynamic would apply in the case of pot/heroin/coke/etc
legalisation.