Witch-Burners in Ohio

All of us must enlist in the war on drugs
Chillicothe Gazette, OH
03/19/06

From the lyrics to Witch Hunt (Rush)
The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill



A voice of reason in Ohio:
END FAILED DRUG WAR, SAVE SOME KIDS' LIVES
Everett DeJager
Rossmoyne
Letter to the Editor
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH
03/19/06

A March 11 headline tells of kids dodging bullets while walking home from a store ("Neighbors decry kids 'dodging bullets'"). This should not be happening in a civilized society. Why has it become a frequent event? There is a simple reason.

When a law is passed making a substance illegal, businessmen will quit handling it. This leaves the product in the hands of criminals, who are not nice people. In this story, the product was drugs. Rival gangs were disputing the territory.

Our people in government, in their great wisdom, have decided certain substances are bad and must be controlled. Laws were passed naming these substances and declaring them illegal. All this accomplished was to get honest people out of the act. It gave a monopoly on these substances to criminals.

So, when these substances are bought and sold, only criminals will be buying and selling. Surprise, surprise, they use guns! Surprise, surprise, kids get shot.

Libertarians say repeal the laws. End the drug war. It has not eliminated drugs, it has only granted a monopoly to criminals. And kids get shot.