TERRORISM and THE DRUG WAR

By Herb Peters

Fight real crime! Make better use of police, courts and prison. Reduce racism & corruption. Better chance to keep your kids safe from drugs. Legalize drugs.

THE DRUG WAR HELPS TERRORISM! $40 million per week is estimated cash flow to terrorists from the sale of illegal drugs.

THE DRUG WAR KILLS INNOCENT PEOPLE! August 9, 1999, a SWAT team broke into a Compton, California home at 11:00 PM, they shot twice in the back and killed a retired grandfather. No drugs were found, no one was arrested.

THE DRUG WAR PROMOTES RACISM! While African Americans and Hispanics are 20% of the users, they are 58% of those arrested for federal marijuana charges.

THE DRUG WAR IS LARGELY A DUD! About 85% of high school seniors said marijuana was fairly easy or very easy to obtain, as reported during the years from 1975 to 1995.

THE DRUG WAR CORRUPTS LAW ENFORCEMENT! In 1998; 548 law enforcement personnel were in prison for drug related corruption. It begs a question, how many corrupt law enforcement officials remain in the work place?

DRUGS WERE SUPPLIED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT! In 1996 federal agents "smuggled" millions of dollars worth of cocaine onto the streets of American Cities.

THE DRUG WAR IS TOO EXPENSIVE! The federal government spent $16 billion in 1998. The states spent additional money.

LEGALIZE DRUGS! With legalization, the criminal monopoly of drug control stops immediately. Terrorists and pushers lose their profits. We have a much better chance to keep our kids off drugs!

LEGALIZE DRUGS! Federal prison inmate populations are about 60% for drugs offenses and about 12% for violent offenses. With legalization we could free up prison space for real criminals.

PARDONS! I will seek, from the president, pardons for drug offenders, both in and out of prison.