Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000
Subject: # 178 Sun-Times Recognizes Drug War As Factor In Violence
Sun-Times Recognizes Drug War As Factor In Violence
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DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 178 July 22, 2000
Editorialists at the Chicago Sun-Times have been generally restrained
in their criticism of the drug war, but this week the newspaper called
for a serious discussion on decriminalizing drugs. The Sun-Times is
finally officially recognizing that the illegal drug market is major
cause of violence.
“There are many options between strict enforcement of the current drug
laws and decriminalization, but in order to determine whether there is
a better strategy for combatting illegal drug trafficking, the pros
and cons of decriminalizing drugs have to be debated in an open
forum,” the editorial said.
Please write a letter to the Sun-Times to support its call for an open
forum, one that isn’t even restricted by terms like
“decriminalization.”
WRITE A LETTER TODAY
It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do
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CONTACT INFO:
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Contact: letters@suntimes.com
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ARTICLE
US IL: Editorial: Dialogue Can Spur New Look At Drugs
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n1011.a06.html
Newshawk: Sledhead
Pubdate: Wed, 19 Jul 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Copyright: 2000 The Sun-Times Co.
Contact: letters@suntimes.com
Address: 401 N. Wabash, Chicago IL 60611
Feedback: http://www.suntimes.com/geninfo/feedback.html
Website: http://www.suntimes.com/
DIALOGUE CAN SPUR NEW LOOK AT DRUGS
Every so often the topic of decriminalizing drugs surfaces, only to be
squashed by fears that the proposal is too controversial to merit
serious discussion.
In 1995, Criminal Court Judge Richard E. Neville stirred quite a
debate among law enforcement officials when he advocated legalizing
drugs and challenged lawmakers to have a dialogue on this issue. At
the time, he and other supporters argued that removing drugs from the
street trade would reduce violence. James E. Gierach, a lawyer who
once ran for Cook County state’s attorney, also has advocated an end
to the drug war, which, according to the Human Rights Watch, has
resulted in a racial disparity in sentences for drug crimes.
Given that the skyrocketing prison population and the continued street
violence related to gang and drug wars affect African Americans
disproportionately, it is entirely fitting that a discussion of
decriminalizing drugs should be on the agenda at the anti-violence
summit of African American leaders that Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) has
scheduled for Saturday.
For a politician to express any support for legalizing drugs carries a
political risk since opponents later could accuse him of being soft on
crime. And to be clear, Rush is not advocating legalization; rather,
he correctly observes that there should at least be discussion on the
drug trade and violence. Rush also intends to take a look at the
Prohibition experience to see if it is relevant to the drug issue.
Indeed, now may be the right time to tackle this issue. The judicial
system has softened its stance. For example, more court systems are
choosing to divert those convicted on minor drug offenses to special
drug courts, where they are monitored while they receive substance
abuse treatment instead of being sent to prison.
There are many options between strict enforcement of the current drug
laws and decriminalization, but in order to determine whether there is
a better strategy for combatting illegal drug trafficking, the pros
and cons of decriminalizing drugs have to be debated in an open forum.
Hopefully, the leadership summit can help spark this debate as
participants look for ways to significantly reduce black-on-black
violence. This is just one issue that will be on the agenda. Rush is
to be commended for calling this meeting to address the violence
continuing to plague too many neighborhoods.
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SAMPLE LETTER
To the editor of the Chicago Sun-Times:
I was pleased to read the editorial “Dialogue Can Spur New Look At
Drugs,” (July 19). The fact that the black market for illegal drugs is
a hotbed for violence and injustice just scratches the surface of the
problems created by the war on drugs. The drug war has scaled back
the Bill of Rights; the drug war prevents sick people from getting
appropriate medicine; the drug war encourages corruption in law
enforcement and other government agencies; the drug war is dragging
our nation into another foreign civil war without an exit strategy.
What good does the drug war do? It has not ended illegal drug use –
levels of use generally rose in the 1990s, along with government
anti-drug budgets and prison populations. It’s not making drug use any
more safe since drug deaths also rose in the 90s.
It’s easy to talk about the problems of the drug war; finding some way
to defend is a much bigger challenge.
Stephen Young
IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number
Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
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Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist