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12/03/2002: "Open Letter of the Voluntary Committe of Lawyers"

"The VCL is an association of lawyers and judges whose members share strong misgivings about the wisdom and consequences of America's perpetual drug war. While favoring no specific drug control policies, seeks to promote, within the legal profession and beyond it, informed and honest discussion about the objectives of the drug war and its costs to our cherished institutions of liberty and justice. This is the view of one of our founders, and former United States Attorney General, Elliot Richardson."

An Open Letter from Lawyers and Judges

As judges and lawyers, we share with all Americans a deep concern about the threat that drugs pose to our children and our country. For more than twenty years, our nation's response to this threat has been a "war on drugs," enforced primarily through a criminal justice process which we administer and observe on a daily basis.

Though we differ in political orientation and career experience, we unanimously observe that neither drugs nor drug abuse has been eliminated nor appreciably reduced, despite massive spending on interdiction and harsh punishments. Attempts at enforcement have clogged the courts, filled the prisons with non-predatory offenders, corrupted officials at home and abroad, bred disrespect for the law in important communities, imperiled the liberties of the people, burdened the taxpayers, impeded public health efforts to stem the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases, and brought the nation no closer to abstinence. As Congress and state legislatures enact more punitive and costly drug control measures, we conclude with alarm that the war on drugs now causes more harm than drug abuse itself.

Accordingly, we join with our colleagues in calling upon our profession, elected officials, the media and the public to initiate a truly open and honest evaluation of the efficacy and consequences of our drug control laws. Only a public debate guided by mutual respect can yield better drug laws in which fear, prejudice, and punitive prohibitions yield to common sense, science, public health and human rights. As America must never "surrender" to drugs, neither must she surrender to inertia or fear that shuts off debate, suppresses critical analysis, dismisses alternatives to current policies, and vilifies those who express dissenting views. We invite judges and colleagues to join us in opening up the dialogue about the drug war, its efficacy and consequences.

For more information, please contact:

Michael D. Cutler, National Coordinator, Boston, Massachusetts
Richard M. Evans, , Counsel, NorthamptonMassachusetts
Charles D.Adler, New York, President
Website - Voluntary Committe of Lawyers

permission to reprint granted by VCL

Replies: 1 Comment

hey stopped in and thought i would say hi

just wanted to say hi said @ 12/29/2002 12:42 AM CST