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MisfireOnDrugPolicy

Wm.F.BuckleyJr.

NEWYORK,JANUARY30

ThebipartisanCouncilonCrimeinAmerica,whosemostconspicuousspokesmanisWilliamBennett,doesfinework,butwhenittouchesonthematterofdrugsitsanalyticalpowerssimplydecompose,asthoughthewriterwerehighoncrackcocaineorthelegalstuff.

LastweektheCouncilexplodedinoppositiontothecallforanapproachtothelegalizationofdrugsmadebysevenwriters（myselfincluded）inthisjournal.Tothetitleofthesymposium--``TheWaronDrugsIsLost''--theCouncilrepliesthatthatismostcertainlynotso.Totheendofprovingthis,itcitesthereductionofdrugusebynon-addicts.Itdeclinedby50percentbetween1979and1992.Theplantedaxiomofcourseisthatthatdeclineisowingtothewarondrugs.Butwhatisitthataccountsforthedeclineinthenumberofusersoftobaccoduringthesameperiod,from33.5millionto26.5million?

Theuseoftobaccoisnotillegal.Butsince1979,andbeginningevenbeforethat,thedeleteriouseffectofcigaretteswassopersuasivelyarguedthatevenWilliamBennettgaveupsmoking.

Alookattheformalsideofthewarondrugsisrequired.Ifsomethingisillegal,thenthelawthatmakesitsoiseffectivetotheextentthatitimprisonsthosewhoviolateit,therebyhypotheticallyreducingthenumberoflawbreakers.

Thatwouldseemobvious,butisn'ttothedistinguishedmembersoftheCouncilonCrimeinAmerica.In1985,811,000arrestsweremadefordrugoffenses.In1994,1.35millionarrestsweremadefordrugoffenses.Doesthatmeanthatthewarondrugsiseffective?

Well,no.Aneffectivelawdiminishes,ratherthanincreases,thenumberofviolatorswhohavetobearrested.

Andthenofcourseoneasks,If1.35milliondruguserswerearrestedin1994,howmanydruguserswerenotarrested?

TheCouncilinformsusthattherearemorethan4millioncasualusersofcocaine（definedaspeoplewhouseitlessthanonceaweek）.Howso?

Whyhaven'ttheybeenarrested?

Andgoesontosaythatthereareover2.2millionheavy（atleastweekly）users.Thatmakesatotalof6.2millionwhoviolatethelawfromonceaweek,toeverytwoweeksorso.Howeffectiveisthewarwhensuchfigurescanbecited?

Nowtakethebigone.Thereareover70millionAmericanswhohavesmokedmarijuana,andabout10millionwhocontinuetodoso.Whyaren'ttheyinjail?

DoestheCouncilonCrimeinAmericareallywishthattheywereinjail?

ItmusthaveembarrassedtheCouncilthatthesameweekitsputteredforthonthegreatsuccessofthewarondrugs,TheEconomistcitedanotherCouncilreportoncrimeinAmericawhichgainsaysitsentirepositiononthedrugwar.Welearnthatonlyonecriminalisjailedforeveryhundredviolentcrimescommitted;thatoverone-halfofAmerica'sconvictedfelonsarenotsentencedtoprison（because,inpart,theprisonsarefull）;thatthemostviolentcriminalsservelessthanone-halftheirsentences,andtheaveragemurdererreleasedin1992fromastateprisonhadservedonly5.9years.

TheEconomistcitestheexperienceofapatrolmaninHaughville,ascruffyareaofIndianapolis.``Hedrivesupanddownintheevenings,pastanorakedfigureswhostandoutsideliquorstoresandturntheirfacesfromhim.Hecanguesswhattheyare;fewpeopleapartfromdrugdealersstandaroundonnightslikethis,whenthepuddlesinthepotholesfreezehard.Besides,PatrolmanReichleknowsmostofthem:

hereckonshehasarrestedoneinfiveoftheseyoungmen.''Cityprosecutors``donotevenbringchargesagainstdrugdealersuntiltheyhavebeenarrestedseveraltimes.Thosewhodogetchargedandfoundguiltywillnotgotoprison,unlesstheyhaveotherconvictions.PresidentBillClinton'scallforacrackdownondrugdealerssoundsprettyhollowinHaughville.''

SuchisovercrowdinginstateprisonsinIndiana--notwithstandingthatthenationalincreaseinprisonspaceisthreefoldsincewedecidedtowagehardwarondrugs--thatevenarelativelynewAmericanprisonmighthavemeriteddescribingbyCharlesDickens.``Prisonerspasstheirdaysinnarrow,ill-litcages;therearenochairsortables,sothemenpaceupanddownlikezooanimalsorslouchuponthefloor.''

Sowhathasthewardone?

Ithasmadeamockeryofananti-druglawthatissimplyignoredbymillions;ithasinducedviolentfeloniesinpursuitofdrugprofits;anditisself-evidentlypowerlesstodoanythingabouttherecentincreaseinmarijuanausebyrecklessadolescents.ItisapitythatmenandwomenofthemoralandintellectualcharacterofWilliamBennetttreatdruglegalizationastheequivalentofmoralacquiescenceindrugabuse,whenotherreasonsforrepealingourstupidlawsaresoclearlyarticulated,primaryamongthemtorelievenon-drugusersfromtheheavyloadtheybearinthephonyandineffectivewar.O