I’m writing about the letter from Radix Y. Faruq [“Taking Crime Personally,” Sept. 12].
Unfortunately, the common-sense solution to Asheville’s crime problem lies in Washington, D.C.—not Asheville or any other city or town in the United States.
Since the vast majority of all of our violent crime and property crime is caused by our drug-prohibition policies, the common-sense solution is to re-legalize all of our now-illegal drugs. Then the drugs can be sold in legal, regulated and licensed business establishments. Then drug dealers as we know them will disappear for economic reasons. Then our so-called “drug-related crime” will be in our past—not our future.
Most people currently employed in law enforcement are against the re-legalization of our now illegal drugs. That’s because we would need far fewer law enforcement personnel if all drugs were re-legalized. Also, we would need far fewer jail and prison guards, and no jail or prison builders. However, there is one organization made up of law-enforcement personnel who favor the re-legalization of all drugs, despite the fact that it’s against their own economic self interest to do so: L.E.A.P. (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).
I suggest the readers visit the L.E.A.P. Web site (www.leap.cc); then arrange for a L.E.A.P. speaker to give an informative and entertaining talk to any organization or group about our current and past drug policies. Most will arrive at the talk skeptical; most will leave convinced. Convinced that we need to make major changes to our nation’s drug policies.
— Kirk Muse
Mesa, Ariz.
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