Guns and Drugs

We can curb gun violence by ending the War on Drugs.

By Michelle Chen

When a hail of bullets extinguished dozens of lives at an elementary school last month, the ugly consequences of the nation’s gun culture shot into the media spotlight. The debate around gun control in the aftermath of Newtown has yielded confused policy [RETURN TO ARTICLE]

  • Reader Comments

    Nationalize the drug trade and run it toward cure.

    Posted by Strelnikov on Jan 4, 2013 at 5:17 PM

    I think there is an important point to be made—first, if legalization means access, drugs are already legal in the practical sense… nearly all drugs are an universally available, with very little effort. I’m for legalization; across the board—that they are illegal simply serves a judicial structure that attempts to corral and control the worst and more dangerous offenders… But what happens to the millions of people who have worked in a very violent and dangerous drug trade; some, for generations… Do we really think that these folks are going to go and find new honest and “legal” careers?  What might be the new areas of illegality they could move into—kidnapping, arms trading, financial terrorism, sex trade, slavery?  It’s worth thinking about this.

    Posted by Patrick Hasburgh on Jan 7, 2013 at 7:39 AM