Drugs

Congress voted for the death penalty for drug pushers (“House Votes Death Penalty for Drug-Related Killings,” Part I, Sept. 9). There seemed to be little or no objection.

This action begs the question: How far is America, the land of the free, willing to go to rid itself of drugs? Our government and our employers want to search us and our bodily fluids at random without cause or warrant. Politicians call for domestic military action, with soldiers in the streets and Air Force fighters shooting down civilian aircraft. Our government strains international relations by demanding other governments restrain their peasants who have been corrupted by America’s demand for more and better drugs.

I have listened in vain for the voice of a single national or local leader who questions where we are going, what we are giving up, or what price we are willing to pay to be free of drugs. Drug abusers do not scare me nearly as much as a government gone berserk.

It would be better to legalize, tax and regulate drugs just as we do with alcohol. This would eliminate the criminals and their profits, improve international relations, reduce our police and prison costs, restore our civil liberties and afford us the opportunity and money to truly help drug addicts.

KEVIN McGILL

Chula Vista