US citizens shot dead by Mexican drug gangs.

step away from the bong.

what you fail to see is the cost on society if drugs were legalized and we had an out of control epidemic of drug use and related crime.

what is going to be the cost on society if the current 4 million coke users expands to 40 million?

I seriously doubt there will b discussion on legalizing coke or any other "harmful drugs."

you sound like you're stoned right now.

many drugs that can be prescribed legally are dangerous when taken recreationally. It's a simple concept. A little Ritalin can help with psychosis or ADHD but if you take too much, you're F*ed up, even dead.

Your thinking, or lack thereof, is that if a drug can be prescribed legally, it should not illegalto obtain it through extra-legal methods. that's just stupid. YOu may as well ask, "If it's legal to drive, and it's legal to drink, why isn't it legal do drink and drive?"

Well, isn't it obvious why not?

Sounds like you work for the drug industry the research on the use of drugs on children was done by the drug companies. The results are not that positive. What children need is good parenting and schools not drugs but then if you make your money in that industry then you want those sales. Never mind what the cost in lives lost.
Since you cannot admit how misguided current treatment is and what a disaster the results are you hurl insults instead of facts.If children had the right guidance 90% of the drug use to control them could be stopped.
Then those in the drug industry might have to search for real solutions to real problems and that would be work.

Its not that American lives are taken more seriously its just that it forces the US to get involved, and they usually do a good job.

drug dealers will eventually loose money, the violence will slowly stop because they cant fund the attacks.

MINUTEMEN TO THE BORDER

It's about poverty, when people don't have any other options, there turn to the drug trade. They're not evil, they're just victims of a corrupt and broke government.

There already there.

Twisted, demented logic but it kind of appeals to me.

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

This is the type of attitude we should be seeing posting things up not some idiot who is looking for something to do. It is also true that the cartels use poor families because they are the most vulnerable they promise them that they will become rich in no time and then they ask them to murder people and smuggle drugs all over the world not only the US. these people have no choice but to listen to the cartels because unknowingly to some people they have sold their lives once they agree to help the cartels. By this I mean that the cartels are not only killing innocent people but a lot of what they commit is organized, they go after people who betray them. Its basically like a bully, once you give him what he wants he will continue to ask for it, if one day u refuse to give him your lunch money he will go after you relentlessly only these bullies don't serve "detention." It is a fact that 0% of all the trafficking related murders and crimes that occur in Mexico have not been solved.

I'm with you on that one, people these days think they know it all until "reality" hits them in the face. its not only drug dealers but M.D are also doing it. look around you this world is controlled by money.

this is perhaps the best comment i've read all year. love the attitude.

You are absolutely correct the sale of cheap medicine coming not only from Mexico, but from Eastern and Western Europe and Organized Chinese Triads important from Canada. The scope isn't anything as large or profitable as Illegal drugs but with more and more Americans unable to afford this prescriptions they are turning to alternatives way to get their medicine. The truly horrible side of this other then of course the fact Americans can't afford basic medication to improve their quality of life is that these important medicines are very often inferior, expired or unregulated generic knock offs that can cause far more damage then not taking the medicine in the first place. It is sick that one of the richest, most advanced countries in the world has failed it's citizen so dramatically that they are forced to seek dangerous, desperate degrees to get access to what should be available to everyone.

very illogical argument gnl...and methinks you are actually smarter than to believe what you just stated. In fact, legalizing pot would completely undermine these drug lords, and ironically, usage would probably not go up that much in this country. If you really want pot now, you can get it and smoke it, but there are a lot more people who don't want it, than those who do, and that isn't going to change a whole lot with legalization. This is not an everyman's drug, it appeals to a select group of people. What will change, is the stranglehold these drug lords have over a market that, because it is illegal, is a prime target for them.

I'm with you godsnliberals. Upped your comment.

why dont you jerk him off too

after reading several of your posts it's obvious that either you are being sarcastic and don't really believe what you post to the degree in which you protest OR you seek significance through outrageous comments because they get a reaction... "I post, people acknowledge me, therefore I am"

One of the main reasons I quit smoking pot years ago was that I realized that the drug trade was destroying not only people here but all through latin america. American kids are a bunch of irresponsible punks--and yes, I was one of them--they want their quick high and instant gratification, "i want to do what I want when I want to do it"

I invite you people to do what I did: go live abroad for a while In Latin America and see what your drug trade is doing.

It's absolutely incredibly ironic that you guys call out "Boycott WalMart, it damages countries in Asia" etc as if you are socially conscious, and then turn around and participate in the SINGLE most violent, obscene and inhumane trade today.

Mexico is a way point in the cocaine distribution, so to try to end this violence you'd have to legalize cocaine.

IF I thought that legalizing drugs would end the crime, I might be tempted to agree with you.

But we're already seeing here in Colorado a significant increase in pot-related crime including murders, because no matter how "cheap" you think the pot will be, there will always be druggies who will want it for free.

And that's not even considering cocaine, or meth, etc. If you make it legal, you'll do nothing but increase the number of people addicted to these extremely dangerous narcotics. And they won't be working at WalMart to support their addiction, they'll be turning tricks, robbing people, and just killing folks to get their drugs.

I suspect that a lot of you are too young to remember what crime was like here in the USA in the 60s and 70s, but let me tell you, you do NOT want to go back to that.

you're apparently the one thinking of dicks, why don't you?

curtis quit jacking me off ok

It’s about the MONEY!!!
Nearly ALL of the drug crimes you speak of are being committed for the MONEY, not the personal consumption of the drugs. As I continually say: “It’s about the MONEY!!!”
Gangs that Profit from the sale of illegal items, ask any detective, commit nearly All violent drug related crimes in America and most of them are not using the drugs which they are profiting from. The only way to effect the Gangs and Cartels is to take away their MONEY. The only way to take away their source of Money is through Legalization, nothing else can work, Nothing! ALL reputable studies on this show that it is the MONEY that is the root of ALL the evils committed by the Gangs and Cartels, Not the personal consumption of the drugs. If you think that it is the drug users that are committing all these crimes just to get their fix then you have fallen victim to the government propaganda that is only interested in continuing prohibition so that They can profit from it through police enforcement, prosecution, incarceration, and all of the other drug related organizations that profit from the tax dollars that are being Wasted in the Failed “War On Drugs”.
It’s about the MONEY!!!
Take away the illegal profits of the Gangs and Cartels by Legalizing drugs and the violence involved in this war will drop Dramatically, I repeat Dramatically!
It’s about the MONEY!!!

and ANOTHER dick comment from you. seriously, Freud would have a hay day with your penis fixation.

Sure, LOTS of the crime is being committed for the money, I know that, but thanks for pointing out the obvious.

What I'm talking about is that IF we were to legalize pot, and IF it was being grown locally--an idea that on its surface sounds attractive, even to me--WOULD it REALLY end drug-related crime? Would it end all the negative side effects that it brings?

The answer is NO. Let me explain why.

1) If you grow it locally, where will you grow it? Wherever you grow it, there will be people who will want to steal it. It's NOT like a giant brewery, where it's next to impossible to sneak in and steal 100,000 gallons of beer. It's NOT hard to imagine someone sneaking into a field or a greenhouse and clipping off 1000 buds. Then you have security/theft shootouts. OR you have crooks robbing the dispensaries. OR you have them invade the houses of "legal" users to get their drugs. THIS type of crime is ALREADY happening now that Colorado allowed the legalization of medicinal marijuana.

2) if you "tax the hell out of it" as some people propose, then the price of the legal pot is NOT lower than the price of the illegal pot, and the black market continues.

3) Legalizing pot will INEVITABLY lead to more young people starting it. Don't try to tell me that people who smoke pot don't then go out and try other drugs. I have been there, I know all about LSD, shrooms, X, coke, meth, prescription drugs, etc. Once you legalize it you send a message that it's condoned. Drug use, which has been going down, will BOOM. Then you'll see a boom in the desire for all the other drugs that will become the "drug of fashion" once pot is so common it won't be "cool" anymore.

4) The C.I.A and other U.S.intelligence sources believe that synthetics like amphetamines and designer drugs like Ecstasy will garner a larger and larger share of the market in years to come.

5) You think legalizing coke is going to be easy? The profit margins are so high coke would have to cost less than 10% of its current price to make no longer profitable for illegal cartels.
"No agriculture based commodities industry in the world operates on the same price differentials as cocaine and heroin, while requiring relatively little in the way of expertise. 'The average drug trafficking organization, meaning from Medellin to the streets of New York, could afford to lose 90% of its profit and still be profitable'"

What would be the impact on society if you could buy an 8-ball of coke for $10? (last time I knew the price of an 8-ball it was $80, I'm guessing it's still in the same ballpark, $100, maybe it's doubled, so 10% of $200 would still be $20! can you imagine if teens could get an 8-ball for $20!?)

6) Don't tell me the war on drugs isn't working. Demand for drugs has steadily decreased. REad this Frontline article and look at the charts and you'll see the steady decline in drug demand: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/math.html
Occaisional & hardcore coke users dropped from over 6 million in 1988 to around 4 million now. That's a 1/3 decrease. Do you think legalizing it would decrase or increase drug use? INCREASE, no doubt.

7) as I said below, hardcore addicts do NOT fund their addiction with a job at walmart. Where do you think they will get their money? OR, do you think there should be a NEW entitlement program for billions of dollars: FREE DRUGS (government funded)

Please, guys, grow the F up. You have NOT thought out the serious consequences of legalization.

I DO think the country MIGHT be able to survive the legalization of marijuana, although it would not come without a price.

But even with legalized marijuana, the crimes we're seeing in Colombia and Mexico would not go away because there will always be a demand for coke, meth, and all the designer drugs.

Sorry it took me so long to respond, medical problems.
OK, here we go:
Answer to part 1)
You are hearing about the thefts of Marijuana now because it is now legal to have it in some areas and the people are now reporting when they are being robbed. Before, nobody would report the thefts because it was illegal to begin with, so Of Coarse you are gonna hear more about it now, that does not mean that it is happening more often! As far as how easy it is to steal other people’s crops; it is now harder to steal other people’s buds because most people grow indoors and it is now legal to have it in a more secured location with a monitored security system that can call the police if someone is breaking in.
Part 2)
We do not want it “taxed to hell”!!! If the price of illegal bud is lower than legal bud then the best reason for legalization, (Cartel and Gang Violence), is a useless point because they will continue to make big money on it and will continue to protect their profits with violence. A “Reasonable” amount is what everyone I speak to agrees with. To me, I would consider $20.00 an ounce reasonable and No More Than $50.00 an ounce, which I feel would be excessive!!!
Part 3)
You are Completely Wrong on this point and have obviously swallowed the “Reefer Madness” propaganda the government has been handing out. The same arguments were used to try to stop Alcohol re-legalization. .
History shows from the elimination of Alcohol prohibition that after prohibition there is a Small increase in use for curiosity reasons that will drop to an actually Lower number of users shortly afterwards. Also, it is not the businesses that sell to the public that kids get their (Alcohol, Marijuana, etc...) from, it is the street corner dealer that does not ask for ID. As for leading to other drugs; it has been Proven by Multiple recent studies that Marijuana is NOT a gateway drug! These are “Independent” studies done buy reputable institutions from around the world, not government sponsored studies that have a pre-assigned outcome. I personally know MANY users of Marijuana and None have gone on to use other drugs because of their use of Marijuana! I have been around Many other drugs in my life but I Never "partake" because I only like Marijuana, it is my drug of choice.
Part 4)
Actually that is correct.
But what does that have to do with Legalization of Marijuana? Those drugs are gonna be more widespread no matter what happens with Marijuana Legalization. It will actually be better to keep the most used drug, “Marijuana”, out of the hands of the illegal dealers so they will have LESS contact with those who choose to just smoke pot thus they would be unable to try to sell the other drugs to those people.
Part 5)
Although I believe the legalization of ALL drugs would be the best for ALL of society, I do not believe that it is possible so I am just speaking about Marijuana when I am speaking about the elimination of prohibition.
As to the profits from other drugs being still attractive to the black market, if the price of a Legal drug is just slightly lower, equal to, or even slightly above the same drug purchased illegally, Nobody I know would Ever purchase it Illegally under those circumstances, NOBODY! If the black market has 85% fewer customers it will be too expensive to supply and thus would be effectively wiped out. If there is no more easily accessible black market for the drug then Kids will not have anywhere to go to get it other than the usual methods used to obtain alcohol, (fake ID’s and idiots that just don’t care), which is all they have to get alcohol now and alcohol is Much harder for Kids to get now than Marijuana or any other drugs because of the current black market.
Part 6)
Wrong Again!
The “War on Drugs” is a Complete Failure!!!
The “War” is not the reason for any supposed drop in use. Education is the Main reason for a Worldwide drop in the use of illicit drugs even in countries that allow their use because when people are more educated with real Facts about a subject then they can make a better choice for their personal lives.
Part 7)
Hard Core Addicts will always be Hard Core Addicts no matter what the law is and legalization of Marijuana, (or any other drug for that matter), will NOT increase the number of Hard Core Addicts. It will actually Decrease the number through education and “Rehabilitation” that should be offered to them without legal consequences for just using. With the laws we have now, most Hard Core Addicts will not go to treatment for 2 reasons: 1) There are very few “Free” rehabilitation clinics 2) Even if they get to go to a “Free” clinic they would be criminally prosecuted if they are caught re-lapsing just one time. Where is the incentive to get help?

As for the last part;
The crime in Mexico and other areas that are hotbeds for the Cartels will never go away as long as there is a HUGE profit to be made. Marijuana is 85% of the Cartel’s profits and it would severely cripple their organizations if it were legalized. Then just maybe the governments in those areas would then be able to effectively fight the Cartels on their own turf.

I hope you and others find my response was both courteous and compelling.

Me too. I live like three hours from El Paso. Thats close enough for me.

It's crazy to see what going on down there. I see a lot of the crap on crazyshit.com. You should check it out sometime if you like to see blood & guts.

me three... i was there for new years... and i am not going back for a long time. Its funny how we are at the point were we hear the craziest stories come from Mexico, and none of it shocks us anymore.