SAVE OUR CHILDREN: LEGALIZE DRUGS

By Frosty Wooldridge

February 26, 2009

NewsWithViews.com

After the first 12 interviews with my brother Police Officer and Detective Howard Wooldridge of Lansing, Michigan (retired) concerning the "War on Drugs," more and more Americans understand the underpinnings of how the U.S. government protracts a national taxpayer fraud.

At this time, over 10,000 judges, sheriffs, cops and thousands of citizens belong to www.leap.cc or Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. After 39 years of a failed Drug War policy and 30 million citizens that served time in prison for simple drug possession, this organization educates citizens toward a more plausible future for Americans.

"For decades we have seen commercial spots and our police and political leaders demand more action, more arrests to 'protect our children' from the scourge of illegal drugs. How can anyone argue with that concept?" said Officer Howard Wooldridge. "Wait! Is Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs helping or hurting our young people? Based on my 18 years of police service and over a decade of examining the issue, led me to the answer NO! To truly protect and save the lives and futures of our children, we need to legalize/regulate and tax these illegal drugs now.

"Drugs are readily available to America's youth" states a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) brochure. This admitted fact and failure of policy means that kids easily buy any illegal drug. Indeed, government research shows that teens can buy illegal drugs easier than beer. Whereas 40 years ago, one could only find heroin in large cities, today teens can purchase it easily in small towns like Jefferson, Wisconsin or Twin Falls, Idaho.

"Modern Prohibition kills our teens. The federal government's newest research shows that over 900,000 teens are employed — as drug dealers. Many first join a gang — not a step in the right direction. Every day several are shot and 1-2 die every week. What kind of country has a policy which offers a 13 year old employment which starts him on a life of crime or worse, shot and killed? The United States of America! This is immoral. Teens should either be making chump change flipping burgers or unemployed. Period!

"Teen drug dealers have become the symbol of success in the barrio and ghettos of American cities. They have the money, women, cars and respect of their peers. Even when they are arrested or shot, someone who looks just like them takes their place. As good ministers and others urge young people to stay in school and away from drugs and gangs, these symbols undermine much of their efforts. Why study hard when a youth can make decent money selling drugs and their employer does not ask for a high school diploma or where France is?

"And many see little risk in taking illicit drugs." This from the same DEA pamphlet mentioned above. Due to hard line policies by the prohibition crowd, our education efforts have completely failed our kids. 'Just say no.' is a throw away joke line for young people. Worse, they learn that their DARE officer lied to them that all these illegal drugs will kill them. Now they experiment not knowing what is fact or fiction. They combine their parents Valium with a six pack of beer and die of a polydrug overdose. And as happens every day, even when teens see their friend dying of an overdose, nobody calls 911 to save the life. They are too scared to get into trouble. This horrendous situation is encouraged by the likes of "Washington State Senator Pam Roach who believes it is better for teens to die because saving them would 'encourage' illegal drug use.

"Of course lives are ruined by a simple possession charge, as that person finds it nearly impossible to find meaningful employment, obtain a license, a credit card, housing or a student loan. Worse, when a young person sells to their friends and are busted, they can end up dead by Rachel Hoffman a Florida University student that was forced into becoming a narc to not spend years in prison. My colleagues asked her to buy guns and pills from real bad guys and they killed her. Another case from 2008 in North Carolina is yet another of so many disgusting tragedies. Mark Reid was arrested for minor sale of pot. My colleagues interrogated him and told him how he would spend years in prison being raped and worse if he did not cooperate. He could not morally go bust his friends to escape jail. They scared him literally to death. After he bonded out, he went home and hung himself. He is forever 18.

"All young people and our society are hurt as we build prison after prison instead of more junior colleges. Tuition has on average tripled the inflation rate since 1990, as we have jammed 2.3 million citizens into 6 X 8 cages — 70% because of Modern Prohibition. The trillion + dollars my profession has spent to arrest 39 million people has been truly a Bridge to Nowhere.

"As we look into a bleak couple of years, will our politicians (they are rarely leaders) have the will and courage to do what our grandparents did in 1933? Will they end this Prohibition Two which will save the lives and futures of our teenagers? It can go either way. Tell your politicians how you feel. Call, write, email or send a smoke signal. Our teens deserve better."

LEAP cops in their own words:

"Tell your member of Congress to support hearings on whether the war on drugs is an effective drug control strategy. Urge your local city or county government to pass a resolution, asking for a national conversation on drug prohibition. Ask yourself what have been the benefits, the positive outcomes for our country during the 38 year Drug War? Join LEAP on line without cost and add your voice.

The mission of LEAP is Today, my brother Howard Wooldridge heads up a task force in Washington, DC to educate and enlighten congressmen at the highest levels. He works for a better future for all Americans. He can be reached at: Education Specialist, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, www.leap.cc, Washington, DC. He speaks at colleges, political clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs across America. LEAP speakers in 36 states address this issue to citizens around the country to bring an end to the Drug War. Check out the web site and join.

Book a speaker in your state! Wooldridge also presents at political conferences in Washington. wooldridge@leap.cc to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition.

"Envision a world where crime is cut in half, terrorists don't make money selling drugs and kids are not employed in the drug trade," Wooldridge said. "Envision a world where the police focus on DUI, child predators and terrorists. Imagine a world where if you have a drug problem, you see a doctor not a judge. All are possible, when we find the courage to end our Prohibition."

Listen to Frosty Wooldridge on Wednesdays as he interviews top national leaders on his radio show "Connecting the Dots" at www.themicroeffect.com at 6:00 PM Mountain Time. Adjust tuning in to your time zone.