Letter: Illegal drugs are source of Vegas’ ills

Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007 | 7:20 a.m.

The letters of Nov. 12 from Jack L. Kane ("Gangs are going to chase away tourists") and Peter Sams ("Common sense dies as liberalism thrives") gave me pause to think.

Mr. Kane believes by throwing huge amounts of money at crime we can save Las Vegas and its casino industry.

Mr. Sams believes that if we had more common sense and brought it back into fashion we might save this country from liberalism.

Both letters have merit, but both miss the bull's-eye.

With respect to Mr. Kane's letter, the criminals and criminal gangs are held together in Vegas and the rest of our country by one very strong bond, illegal drugs. No amount of tax dollars is going to break this bond. If you want to kill a snake, you cut off its head, you don't use a feather and try to tickle it to death. People who grow and produce illegal drugs have to be tried and eliminated. No illegal drugs, no more tax money thrown away on more police, judges, lawyers and prisons.

Regarding Mr. Sams' letter, liberalism and today's conservatism seem to be one and the same - both lack common sense. Confusion and drama seem to be what today's American citizens thrive on. For some reason it makes their lives bearable, along with illegal drugs, booze and tobacco.

Our country is on the edge of a very high cliff. What happens or doesn't happen in '08 will determine whether we fall off or turn around and get back to sanity.

John Tominsky, Las Vegas