Eliminate the need for a "Drug War"

By John R. McAlister

If elected to the Senate I will do everything within my power to eliminate the need for a "Drug War" by establishing a more rational policy for our country in dealing with drug abuse.

The proponents of the war on drugs have seen all of their strategies fail. Many intelligent and thoughtful people from Charles Schultz, former Secretary of State to Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico to Kurt Schmoke, the Democratic mayor of Baltimore have all said the current "drug war" is not working.We are spending billions of dollars, arresting and jailing millions of people, as military style police units trample on the Bill of Rights of the Constitution in pursuing the "enemy" -- people who many times have committed no harm against anyone else's life, liberty or property. Certainly we all know that abuse of drugs can destroy lives, but we must stop a failed policy that currently benefits primarily politicians, bureaucrats and criminals. If elected to the Senate I will do everything within my power to end the insane War On Drugs and help establish a more rational policy for our country in dealing with this problem.