The big White House issues -- Money and Security

Let's generate tens of thousands of letters to the White House to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and send along a terrific oped, below, from the Chicago Tribune, that was captured by DrugSense Weekly. The author, Brian O'Dea -- that appears to be his real name -- is a former international marijuana smuggler.

Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, a native of Chicago, and former Chicago congressman, was an anti-drug, law and order voice in the Clinton White House. In some circles he is considered a political genius because as the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2005-2006 he was able to lead to the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives. I suspect that he has encouraged the tough on drugs line that is coming out of the White House these days.

As you know, President Obama just went to Mexico which is deep in the blood of innocents as the cartels fight for turf, kill informants, intimidate those who resist them or report about them, and counterattack against the military, the honest cops, and the central government.

Congress made trouble for his trip by disregarding NAFTA and dissing
Mexican truck drivers. To make nice with President Calderon, Obama made a speech about cracking down on drug use. He made a pathetically unenforceable pledge to stop the Iron River of guns from the U.S. to Mexico. This is akin to King Canute's eleventh century effort to stop the tides of the sea.

Here's what I wrote to Rahm Emanuel at the White House (I suggest you modify it with your own words and your own story).

Subject: I have a policy question

Attention Rahm Emanuel

Re: The big issues -- money and security

For good reason, the American people are afraid that the bloodshed in Mexico will spread to the 230 cities across the country in which the cartels are operating. Because we are not taxing the sales and profits of illegal drugs, we are subsidizing the illegal drug cartels and their violence.

In September our school system is cutting out another teacher at my daughter's elementary school. They have already cut teachers, nurses, and paraprofessionals. Our county is cutting out psychiatric nurses at the detention center to treat drug addicts. We are cutting the police department.

None of these cuts should be made as long as we are spending billions of dollars to stop adults from using marijuana. Put marijuana prohibition on a scale with drug treatment or teachers or police protection. The answer is obvious, marijuana prohibition is less important.

This article in your hometown paper makes the point very well.

If we really want to help Mexico, we need a real strategy to stop the cartels from buying guns. The President's pledge to President Calderon is empty.

You have only one strategy that has not been tried in the past 40 years -- regulation, taxation and control.

America will abandon marijuana prohibition because it makes sense.
How long will the Obama Administration stand in the way of history and logic?

Eric E. Sterling