Letters June 8

Cemetery looked good

During our visit to several cemeteries over the Memorial Day weekend the Colfax cemetery stood out. I appreciate all the work that was put into making the cemetery look so beautiful this year. Also thank you to everybody that put the flags up on Friday morning.

I have three members of my family with flags there, and it was very nice seeing them fly Friday morning when I was there.

Gwen Leland Goodman, West Richland

Balancing Concept

Here’s a balancing concept for you. For drugs that are used recreationally, the supply/demand curve is U-shaped.

On the right, the more liberal the supply and advertising – as with alcohol, today – the greater the sales (ask any merchant), and thus, the greater the use and abuse of the drug. On the left, if the legal supply is pushed to zero (prohibition), then profit motivation in a black market will push the sales volume upward (ask the head of any drug cartel).

In countries with the lowest use and abuse, they have a state policy allowing a moderate supply, with no advertising.

Example on the right side of the curve: in the early 1800s, opiates were widely available, advertised, and popularly used in England. The Pharmacy Act of 1868 restricted the sale of opiates to pharmacies, and pharmacists were required to keep records of the purchasers. That simple. Use fell, over time, until England had only 500 addicts in a 50 million population.

Example on the left side of the curve: unwisely, in the 1960s, England imported America’s “war on drugs.” Use increased, from 500 addicts to 167,000 in treatment today.

In spite of the “war on drugs,” British law allowed Dr. Marks to prescribe drugs for addicts in Widnes, UK, from about 1982 to 1995. He reported “a reduction in drug-motivated acquisitive crime, zero deaths, zero HIV infection, and a dramatic preventive effect by reducing the black market. The removal of peddling to fund illegal drug use is the cause for the 92% fall in the incidence of drug use.”

Cause and effect: on the right, a liberal supply, plus advertising, produced widespread use. A restricted availability, and no advertising produced a declining use.

And on the left, the imported American prohibition caused addictions to rise. Dr. Marks’ prescribing clinic caused a 92% drop, in just 12 years.

Dr. Marks’ other evidence is historical and powerful.

UK, ALCOHOL:

1800-1870 lax regulation produced increasing use.

1870-1960 “Optimal” regulation gave minimum use.

1960-Present: lax regs, increasing use.

UK, OPIUM:

1800-1870 lax regs, increasing use.

1868-1960s “Optimal” regs, minimum use.

1960-Present: prohibition, increasing use.

USA, ALCOHOL:

1920-1930 Prohibition, increasing use.

USA, OPIUM:

1915-Present: prohibition, increasing use.

In effect, these are 8 “experiments” averaging 51 years duration, with sample sizes of 62 million UK and 240 million USA. This is rock solid. Policy can safely be built on this.

So?

On the right, re-open the state liquor stores, and restrict the sales of liquor and cannabis to the liquor stores. No advertising.

On the left, end the prohibition. Obey the Harrison Narcotic Tax Act; let doctors, once again, prescribe for their addicted patients.

Perhaps our representatives would be willing to present us with a Referendum which asks the voters if we want to re-establish the state liquor stores, and restrict the retail sales of liquor and of marijuana to the state liquor stores? No advertising?

Independent of that, we can ask the Attorney General to invite other states to join a lawsuit against big alcohol, forcing them to quit advertising, and pay damages, as was done with big tobacco. Alcohol is the #1 drug related to crimes of violence, after all.

Wiley Hollingsworth,

Pullman

Patriots?

Many of Donald Trump’s supporters call or think of themselves as the real “patriots” and even exclude other Americans. In less than six months, this president has done nothing but severely antagonize our allies, weaken NATO and cuddle up to Russia ... amazing.

Weakening the alliances of western nations is EXACTLY what the leadership of the Russian Federation intended by meddling in our election. How do “patriots” see these actions as patriotic and continue to support Trump? Do you “patriots” want something more like a Vladimir Putin, who Trump idolizes, to have some sway in the actions of the USA?

Trump’s policies regarding the rest of the world are creating economic and political vacuums that will happily be filled by the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. Seems to me that we are in the process of abdicating our position as leader of the free world. Is that good? Is that what the majority of Americans want? Is that going to “make America great again” as Trump says?

I feel that the issues above outweigh ALL other issues. The issues that Trump is creating threaten to destroy some of our most basic principles we have had as Americans, especially those principles adopted since World War II. Do we want to go back to being an isolated, inward-looking country like we were before the war?

As a regular, ordinary American citizen, I’d like to say to the “patriots” who voted for and still support this person ... THANKS A LOT! (said with a tremendous amount of sarcasm.)

I pray that God will save the United States of America and all it stands for.

Richard Stanton, Colfax