Now that all U.S. troops are out of Afghanistan, the move supposedly brings an end to our nation’s longest war. But those who claim that are wrong. Our longest (and most destructive war) has been the so-called “War on Drugs,” which has been fought for over 50 years without success and has caused the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands American citizens while destroying hundreds of inner-city neighborhoods in the process.
As I watch the debate between the candidates vying to become our next mayor I’m struck by their similarities more than I am their differences. All of them call for an increase in public safety but none of them have the slightest inkling as to how to create safer streets.
The majority of the gunfire and killings are over drugs. And those candidates that fool themselves into thinking that creating more employment opportunities will cause a reduction in gun violence are doing just that: fooling themselves.
Once a young gang-banger gets a taste of drug money (which to most of them is considered “big money”), they are not about to seek out employment or a training class, no matter what the pay happens to be.
The only way to get them to give up the drug trade is by making it less lucrative, and that means legalizing what they are profiting from. It’s a well-known fact that illegality is what keeps the cost of street drugs so high. Legalization (along with regulation) will cause a crash in the drug market, thereby removing the profit motive out of drug selling.
With the profit motive gone, these young men who are currently shooting and killing each other will have to find another line of work. This is the only way to reduce gun violence in Cleveland and other cities around the country. But with such a large national and local police force earning their living playing “cops and robbers” with drug traffickers, legalization is not about to happen anytime soon.
One Response to “MANSFIELD: America’s Longest War?”
Steven McQuillin
Yes, a great suggestion. I thought Portugal legalized all drugs 20 years ago, but they just decriminalized small amounts. Even so, drug use is way down there compared to the rest of Europe, largely because of their public health care counseling and drug alternatives. So far, no place has really legalized all drugs, but it does seem very logical.