Legalizing drugs would put cartels out of business

Ze-ev Amzalem, Henderson

Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

Regarding Dan K. Thomasson’s Tuesday column, “Drug cartels’ carnage,” about the violence in Mexico:

To me, the “war on drugs” is futile. The United States of America, and the rest of the world, has not learned the Prohibition lesson. You can neither legislate nor enforce morality and/or teach people what’s good or what’s bad for them.

Drinking is now legal. Becoming an alcoholic is legal. If a drunk is caught behind the wheel, he or she pays the price. In most cases, drug addicts only hurt themselves. And like obese people who become diabetic due to gorging on junk food, they pay the price.

Like tobacco and alcohol, all drugs should be legalized and kept out of the hands of children.

Legalizing drugs would put drug cartels out of business and eliminate most national and global crimes.

Some of the billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs ought to be spent on rehab centers instead.

Yes, it would seem wise to stay out of Mexico for now, as Mr. Thomasson suggests, although it would be wiser to stay out of drug “law enforcement.”