I have rece3ived a few private emails regarding Officer McKenzie's recent post regarding a drug bust he and his partner were involved in.

I went back and read most of the thread, and will, as asked, respond. I am currently a Public Defender in a fairly high crime area of Illinois. Previously I served as a prosecutor (my specialty was DUIs).

A police Office has a very dangerous job, which is by no means aided by the few bad cops that hinder all the good ones. A drug bust, any drug bust is inherently dangerous, and I have no specific criticism to the officers based upon what little I know.

Truth is the lawyer in me immediately has a dozen questions, but Von is experienced enough to know what they would be, and probably dealt with all of them in his formal report. Little things like probable cause).

There was a discussion about whether it was a 'real crime'. It is a crime because we as a society have criminalized it. And every citizen has an obligation to obey the law, period. It doesn't matter whether you agree with the law or not.

The issue of whether drugs should be illegal is another topic, and it is necessary to differentiate between types of drugs. I for one don't feel that cannabis should be illegal.

I for one have no interest in partaking, but all the evidence shows cannabis to be comparable to alcohol in terms of abuse, societal cost, overall harm to society. Cigarettes and obesity have similar levels of societal harm.

Hard drugs (cocaine, crack, meth, heroin etc) are significantly worse. There is no evidence that they can be used in a non destructive matter, all are heavily addictive, and all are (to varying degrees) life threatening at any level.

It has been suggested that drugs lead to a variety of other crimes. Burglary, domestic violence etc. have all been referenced. There are three basic crime areas: crimes committed to obtain the drug, crimes committed in the distribution or use of the drug, crimes committed as an affect of the drug.

Because these drugs are illegal, they have a high cost, are unregulated, and are distributed thru less than reputable avenues. These lead to persons committinbg crimes to obtain a 'fix'. While there is no specific evidence that legalization will deal with these issues, history shows that alcohol and cigarettes, and even birth control items and pornography (and what about gambling) are become less of a societal harm in terms of crime committed to obtain these items.

Certainly (as an example), if poppy were grown here, legally, it would reduce the cost tremendously.

Legalization would deal with mucch of the crime related to gang controls and distribution issues. Remember, one of the groups that financed the unsuccessful battle to save the 18th amendment was organized crime.

The tough question (as far as I am concerned), is what about the affects of the drug. Should government criminalize self directed behaviors, no matter how serious. That is one I can't answer, but if we were to change the topic, many who instantly thought yes, would just as strongly say no. What about secondary behavior, like domestic battery.

It is without any serious question that 'hard drugs' are dangerous, and hurt the user, and that it extends to family friends, it hinders the economy, and causes some to act in a manner they would not normally.

BUt don't for a minute think that we are helping a drug addict by putting him in jail. They do not get treatment, what treatment that is available, is by any standard insufficient. THe incarceration of such a large segment is killing a generation.

If a person is going to kill themselves, with drugs or otherwise, laws saying he can't won't save him. I am sad to say that penalties are not color blind, or ignorant of economic circumstances.

The war on drugs has been a true failure. But I don't know what the alternative may be. I doubt anybody will like what I said (at least not in the whole), nor do I feel I have answered any issue fully.

Certainly we can debate, as we have a right to do, what the law should be, and where our mutual resources should go. However, if the government passes a law saying don't do this!, then that is a real crime, and it should not be done. I expect officers to enforce the law that is, period, and I don't consider that to be a waste.

One last thought- When idiots build a meth lab, it endangers everybody around. They are bombs waiting to happen.