Rep. Burton on Eradicating Coca Crops in South America

Rep. Dan Burton, in his column, “Kill the Coca at Its Roots” (Commentary, April 26), rehashes (albeit with the unique twist of violating the borders of another country) the reactionary and increasingly stale argument that we need to “stop drugs at their source” by eliminating their production.

To take this position, that production eradication solves America’s drug problem, is to totally ignore the true solution which is to eliminate the insatiable demand that we as Americans create for drugs, both the domestic products as well as the foreign.

Instead of dumping millions of dollars into production eradication strategies that continue to be ineffective, we should instead be concentrating our efforts (and resources) on well thought-out ways to eradicate the demand among our people. Once this is achieved, drug production will naturally disappear (a situation which does not occur in the reverse).

But the eradication strategies will continue to be the popular choice with elected officials (and, therefore, the choice of the American voters) until such time as we are willing to stop blaming outside factors, i.e., foreign drug lords, uncooperative foreign governments, etc., and start taking responsibility for our own shortcomings.

Until we as a nation become willing to admit our weaknesses and make the sacrifices and take the steps necessary to clean up our own “house,” the drug war, with emphasis on curbing production, will continue to be a losing battle.

ROBERT LINDSTROM JR.

Long Beach