January 13, 2005
Please Distribute Widely
Gary Webb - Presente
Dear Colleague,
Narco News Co-publisher Don Henry Ford, Jr. has posted a provocative
Reporter's Notebook entry on The Narcosphere, titled "Legalizing Drugs?"
Ford, former drug war prisoner and author of the upcoming "Contrabando:
Confessions of a Drug Smuggling Texas Cowboy" (see his Narcosphere post from
last week about U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Minimum Laws, and
Bill Conroy's review of Ford's book, also on The Narcosphere), writes:
"The Supreme Court has taken a step in the right direction by giving judges
more discretion at sentencing time. But we still have a long way to go.
Unlike some, maybe most that read columns on this site, I am not in favor of
total legalization of drugs. If I were, getting that done is an unattainable
goal. It ain?t going to happen.
"But there are some things we might be able to get done. Perhaps getting
marijuana decriminalized or at least reducing the penalties for getting
caught with it to an acceptable level. Like a small fine and no jail time.
Holland?s example seems to be working. Oddly enough, less, rather than more
of the teen-agers in that country smoke the stuff.
"Cocaine and heroin are powerful distillates. Too damn powerful. Same with
crystal meth. Perhaps we could push for tolerance of the herbal elements
from which these are derived or maybe even drinks containing moderate
amounts of these substances. Coca leaves to chew. Or a soft drink with a bit
of cocaine in it. But in their concentrated form these are dangerous
substances with addictive and destructive qualities. Make no mistake about
it. Total legalization of cocaine and heroin is akin to letting people walk
around with loaded automatic weapons...."
Read the whole thing at:
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/1/13/173549/941
And add your comments.
My own opinion in favor of legalizing all drugs (including those I never
wish to use) has been stated again and again. The Narcosphere, though, was
set up for all voices to converse aloud, a place where, as Mario Menendez
says, "your truth and my truth can make a bigger truth."
You may agree with Don Henry Ford, or you may disagree with him, but he
makes his points coherently and intelligently and I'm interested to see a
healthy exchange on the issue.
Co-publishers: jump in!
If you're not yet one of our 211 co-publishers, you can become number 212,
or 213, or 214... by applying here:
http://narconews.com/copublisher/application.php
The great thing about discussions on The Narcosphere is that the
conversation takes place on a public stage. Thousands of visitors -
including most of the journalists covering Latin America and/or the drug
war, looking for stories to report - come to The Narcosphere daily read and
learn. Your opinions and reports are amplified many times over through this
forum.
Don Henry Ford has raised concerns about drug legalization that many members
of the general public, even many sympathetic with drug policy reform, also
hold.
This is an excellent opportunity to see the issue of legalizing drugs aired
in the democratic spirit of The Narcosphere and Authentic Journalism.
So, hey, don't just sit there and talk amongst yourselves!
Get out there and advocate your views - whatever they are - on a wider
public stage!
Play ball!
From somewhere in a country called América,
Al Giordano
Publisher
The Narco News Bulletin
http://www.narconews.com/
new email: narconews@gmail.com
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