Legalization of drugs urged: Ex-police officer says 33-year-old 'war' is a failure

The Arizona Republic ^ | Sept. 21, 2003 | Judi Villa

[MrLeRoy]

It sounds radical. Even more so when it comes from a former narcotics cop.

But Jack Cole, a retired detective lieutenant with the New Jersey State Police, says the nation's 33-year "war on drugs" is a failure and the only way to really save lives, reduce addiction and lessen crime is to make drugs legal.

[MrLeRoy]

Wod_list (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/involved?group=124) ping

[Protagoras]

The federal government as the new drug dealers. If ya can't beat em, join em.

[xrp]

I'd rather the federal government tax the drug users for their habit rather than tax me and try to prevent their habit.

[toothless]

LEAP is nothing but a bunch of druggie liberdopian hippies.

[Taiwan Bocks]

"Legalization allows you to regulate and control something," Cole said Saturday. Control is needed

IMO, Duh!!!

[Hodar]

Cole likens his ideas to alcohol prohibition and says when that ended in 1933, officials gained control of the quality of alcohol and placed restrictions on buyers and sellers.

Sounds familiar ... never in the span of recorded history has prohibition worked.

[LibWhacker]

I like it. Take the outrageous profit out of the drug business and you'll take the outrageous behavior out of it, too.

[bigfootbob]

"LEAP is nothing but a bunch of druggie liberdopian hippies."

I'll save a ping to dane and say it myself, I bet they are financed George Soros and Peter Lewis. ;)

[MrLeRoy]

Cole advocates the federal government producing drugs

I'm against that---we didn't get the government into the distilling business when we wisely ended Prohibition.

[Ol' Sparky]

What's a failure is the decriminalization and liberalizing of drugs in nations like the Netherlands, where drug use, drug dealing and crime have all dramatically increased over the past 15 to 20 years.

And, nevermind, in this nation, that montly drug users, according to the National Household Survey, declined from 26 million to 14 million from 1979 to 2000.

[Ol' Sparky]

Never in recorded history has drug legalization worked. Such attempts to decriminalize drugs have been an utter failure in left-wing nations like the Netherlands. That's why conservatives oppose drug legalization while Barney Frank and Joycelyn Elders support it.

[robertpaulsen]

Yeah, let's legalize, regulate, control, and tax alcohol.

That way, we'll keep these products out of the hands of teens. (#1 drug for teens? Alcohol.)

[E Rocc]

I'd rather the federal government tax the drug users for their habit rather than tax me and try to prevent their habit.

Especially when it sets the precedent of trying to criminalize other "bad habits"...."for our own good" of course.

-Eric

[Orangedog]

And, nevermind, in this nation, that montly drug users, according to the National Household Survey, declined from 26 million to 14 million from 1979 to 2000.

I'd say that just shows that more people are less likely to admit anything like drug use these days. Just Say No....to the right questions!

[Ol' Sparky]

Then, you're a liberal and fool. Legalizing drugs will increase the number of users, increase the number of innocent victims killed by drugged-out freaks and increase crime. No, we don't need to diminish the quality of life in the US so greedy politicians can have more money to spend.

[MrLeRoy]

What's a failure is the decriminalization and liberalizing of drugs in nations like the Netherlands, where drug use, drug dealing and crime have all dramatically increased over the past 15 to 20 years.

Provide evidence for your claims.

And, nevermind, in this nation, that montly drug users, according to the National Household Survey, declined from 26 million to 14 million from 1979 to 2000.

And then stalled even though we spent MORE on the War On Some Drugs and imprisoned MORE users and dealers. It is clear that the decline had NOTHING to do with the War On Some Drugs.

[Protagoras]

I'd rather the federal government tax the drug users for their habit rather than tax me and try to prevent their habit.

I'd rather they stay out of it altogether as the constitution prescribes.

[harrym]

Another case of the wide gap between liberals and conservatives in the understanding of what laws are. Liberals think of the law as some liquid, malleable agreement by a consensus of popular opinion on what should and should not be allowed. Conservatives see law as a set of rules made to allow the optimum functioning of society as a whole with as little incursion into the individual's rights as possible. Liberals are adolescents rebelling against the rules, conservatives are like parents attempting to enforce them. We have, in this country, a family being run by the children and parents who have thrown their hands up in frustration and given up. Pretty soon it will be back to the sandbox for us all.

[MrLeRoy]

Legalizing drugs will [...] increase crime.

Nonsense; it will drastically DECREASE the crimes committed to get money for drugs.