Legalized regulation' of drugs discussed
By: Diana Grace
Issue date: 5/14/09 Section: News
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Several students and professors were forced to remain standing as every seat in WHTC 116 was occupied.
LEAP's message is this:
To save lives and lower the rates of disease, crime, and addiction-- as well as conserve tax dollars-- we must end drug prohibition
Nelson, a former officer with thirty years of experience under his belt, has been giving his presentation for years
"We're going to talk today about, not necessarily legalization of drugs, but legalized regulation and control of drugs," said Nelson.
Nelson began his presentation by introducing LEAP's two goals: 1.) Educate the public, the media, and policymakers about the failure of current drug policy by presenting a true portrayl of the history, causes and effects of drug abuse, and the crimes related to drug prohibition, and 2.) restore the public's respect for law enforcement, which has been greatly diminished by its involvement in imposing drug prohibition.
"Is the first thought that crosses your mind when you see a patrol car in your rearview mirror that the officer is there to help you?" he asked. Several audience members mumbled 'no' in response.
Members of LEAP do not believe drug use or drug possession be treated as criminality.
"You arrest a murderer, and the rate of murders goes down. You arrest a drug dealer, and all you do is create a job vacancy. We are not going to arrest our way out of the drug war."
This statement was repeated constantly throughout the entire presentation, a point Nelson seemed intent on getting across.
Opening for a question-and-answer session soon after discussing the statistics of crime - in which Nelson metioned the United States as the country with the most prisoners - the audience was silent for several minutes until the first of many spoke.
Questions varied from why Nelson had switched to this ideology, to which he responded that it had been a gradual process, spurred by actions he had seen during his time with the force.
He was also asked what would happen if and when the prohibition of drugs ceased.
His response was that drug dealers would either be out of a business or go legit - he used the example of Al Capone to push his point - and the number of addicts would decline, for, as he put it, "people want what they can't have."
LEAP is always looking for and welcoming volunteers.
For more information, visit http://www.leap.cc
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