Legalizing Drugs Would Cut Crime

* My deepest sympathies and condolences are extended to the families, friends and loved ones of fallen Oxnard Police Officer James Jensen Jr., as well as to Officer Dan Christian.

The death of this apparently fine officer and the havoc it has played on the Oxnard Police Department are a total waste of one of our most precious assets: dedicated individuals willing to risk their lives for the betterment of our society.

It’s time for society to realize that the so-called drug war is a futile and wasted effort. Having served in Vietnam and now retired from the military, I know the definition of a lost cause and also know, as in that terribly misguided war, it’s time to pull out.

For all the rhetoric and talk of police raids “destroying” large-scale drug rings, the removal of drugs for sale from the streets, and the arrests of gang members, nothing yet tried seems to be effective. Toughen our laws? Increase penalties? Death to kingpins? Zero tolerance? None of these have worked, nor will they ever.

I am neither a felon, drug user, political activist nor radical. My interests are purely selfish. I have six grandchildren and would like to see them lead their lives without the specter of drive-by shootings or be caught in the cross-fire of a police/gang shooting.

Drug dependence does not cause desperate deeds; drug prices do. No one, to my knowledge, prostitutes themselves or robs convenience stores to support their Marlboro of Budweiser habit. On the other hand, few can afford a $100-$200 or more a day drug habit. By legalizing illicit drugs, the price would drop dramatically and much of what we call a crime problem would disappear.

If society refuses to address the gang and drug problem very soon, we will have fostered a gun-down mentality that will be even more difficult to deal with later on. Drug prohibition equals gang enhancement.

VICTOR M. ORTIZ

Thousand Oaks

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