Souder asks, we answer

Wall St. Journal published four letters to the editor today in response to an earlier article essentially calling for an end to the drug war. This was one of them penned by our favorite prohib profiteer.

Mary O'Grady argues that we will never eradicate drug use. One wonders what other vices Ms. O'Grady proposes we surrender to. Child abuse? Spousal abuse? Rape? We may never eradicate any of these crimes either, but that doesn't mean that we simply give up on them.

Not coincidentally, by the way, all of those crimes, and many others, are frequently linked to drug and alcohol abuse. It's a tired old canard that drug abuse is a victimless crime.

Furthermore, where is the evidence that legalizing and taxing a substance causes organized crime to disappear? It sure didn't after Prohibition -- criminals just no longer focused on alcohol. Unless everything is legalized, including cocaine and heroin, of course the thugs would merely move to the more potent substances. Where does it end?
Rep. Mark Souder (R., Ind.) Fort Wayne, Ind.

Good question Mr. Souder and here's the answer. It ends at the terminal limits of this current folly and at the beginning of common sense. You're correct. We still have criminals after Prohibition One because they moved into the illegal drug market instead. So yes we do have to legalize everything and move to a treatment model. That will be good for all, well except for you and your fellow profiteers who stand to lose money and power if we move from the current criminalization programs.

Seems a small sacrifice to make for the good of the nation.