Learning Lessons

Mexico's politicians seem better at learning lessons than our own.  They have decided that their war on drugs as it is being fought is not working.  They will now lessen their efforts at stopping the flow of drugs and concentrate on diminishing drug violence.  All of this, of course, is caused by the market for drugs in the U.S.  Our criminal justice system still thinks you can win a fight against drug usage by strangling the supply.  Good luck with that. Of course if drugs were legalized in this country like alcohol, many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies would see budget cuts.  Not to mention private prison inmates populations dropping and cutting into profits.

We all read today about the ever present drunk driving problems in this country.  But we made the decision that it was easier, less violent, and more effective to legalize, tax and deal with alcoholism than to prohibit sale of booze.   That formula should work for drugs.

Will any high ranking government official in New Mexico ever have the gumption to suggest legalization?  Former Governor Gary Johnson did it.  That was about the only thing he ever did that I agreed with.  Governor Susanna Martinez must know deep down  this system doesn't work.  Her prosecutorial back ground must have shown her that. For all her work as District Attorney in the past in our border county of Dona Ana things did not get better at all following her 'tough' tenure.  She must realize this, right?