Legalize drugs
In his elegiac speech for Whitney Houston, Tony Bennett blamed her death on the fact that drugs are illegal in the United States. Right or wrong, he has touched on a vital issue.
We will never learn. We banned alcoholic beverages and spawned a generation of fast-living law-breakers. Far worse, we created a network of mobsters with deep pockets who have ever since corrupted our lawmakers and terrorized legitimate businesses.
Now we have the drug wars. If we legalize drugs, the wars and their unholy expense will cease. Let the states supervise the sale of drugs, providing purity of product and sterilized needles. Will it stop addiction? Of course not. We will always have addicts as we always have drunks. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this statement, but someone told me that when New Zealand legalized drugs, the number of users dropped dramatically.*
We will not stop corruption, either. Human nature being what it is, there will always be those willing to sell their souls -- or at least their votes. But legal drugs will put an end to the terrible mayhem on our Southern border. There will be no incentive to entice drug users, and with state-run stores we will know who the addicts are and can monitor them and even, God willing, help them. Tony Bennett had it right in one respect at least. Legalize drugs and put an end to the tragedy and corruption the traffic now causes.
And, as a parting thought, let us also put an end to the ridiculous 21-year-old limit to drinking and stop making law breakers of our young people.
Elizabeth Avery
Oneonta
Watch a documentary before one speaks
In response to the many comments in The Daily Star's Feb. 7 online edition questioning my participation in the "Occupy Movement," I respectfully ask everyone to withhold judgment until they have watched the documentary "Inside Job," directed by Charles Ferguson.
It is a film about government and corporate corruption. It is viewable free online at "filmsforaction.org."
You will then fully understand my involvement.
The legal, proud wearing of my uniform serves as a visual symbol that my career was devoted to law enforcement.
I will not idly stand by and allow law enforcement to be administered only to the poor and disenfranchised, while the rich flaunt their immunity.
It's as simple as that.
Ray Lewis
Sidney
*Sentence corrected at 4:57 p.m.Feb. 17 to correct the nation that legalized drugs.
