Throughout history, Americans have fought many enemies that threaten the safety of our great Nation and provided aid and resources to our partnering countries in their time of despair. However, the consequences were substantial, countless brave men and women lost their lives defending the freedom of Americans. Today American’s fight a different kind of war; it is a war without a clear enemy or end in sight. Today, America fights a War on Drugs.
In the early 1970s, the War on Drugs was still relatively new and drug smuggling continued, going virtually unimpeded through the U.S. northern border (Stout 34). For over 40 years, the War on Drugs (implemented by former President Richard Nixon) had cost the United States an estimated one trillion dollars, for what is believed to be nothing more than an “objective to stomp out growing social discontent in the country” (Stout 38).
However, by this time, the drug demand had increased significantly throughout the United States and many drug smugglers were beginning to create smaller organizations throughout Mexico, breaking all ties with the larger organizations. Furthermore, cash flow from drug sales wasn’t enough and other methods for obtaining quick money were used to subsidize their income, such as; kidding napping for large ransoms, prostitution and auto theft. With criminal activity escalading, President Nixon then created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1973 to declare an, “all-out global war on the drug menace” (Martin 226).
Although, drug production and smuggling was an essential way of life for many Hispanics throughout Mexico, the United States continued to provide financial and military aid throughout decades of uncertainty. Additionally, these actions resulted in the increase of drug addiction in the United States and gruesome deaths throughout Mexico. Moreover, the War on Drugs appeared to activist as the sole reason for the increasing deaths throughout Mexico and defending a theory “end the War on Drugs and end the war” (Bussey 26).
In the mid-1990s, the United States government declared a Drug-Free American in response to the protest of the War on Drugs campaign. However, this step appeared to benefit political campaigns rather than providing support for a drug-free America. Yet, the drug industries in Mexico skyrocketed as Hispanic families were able to live a comfortable lifestyle from the popular demand of drugs throughout the United States. In addition, despite the repercussions, government officials, law enforcement and prominent business owners were being bribed or cohered into “looking the other way” (Stout 34).
Another significant factor, with the United States southern border being the most accessible location for drug smuggling (e.g., marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and prescription pain killers, etc.) it’s estimated that over 90% of the drugs make their way into the U.S. in for distribution. Moreover, the demand for drugs was not only met but increased as the years passed. In addition, U.S Attorney General John Ashcroft reported American’s spending over $62.9 billion on drugs in 2000 (Kellner and Pipitone 30).
Despite the criticism and the protest to end the War on Drugs, violence in Mexico had caught the attention of the social media. With negative controversy published to end drug prohibition, more television networks had portrayed narcotics as more of a “social norm,” rather than what they really are, “a disease that affects both brain and behavior” (Stout 42). In addition, it could be construed that the younger generation would be influenced by an unrealistic trend leading them into a destructive path of addictive, physiological substance that can and will affect every aspect of a drug user’s life.
With the increase of violence in Mexico and news media covering drug cartels slaughtering innocent citizens, these actions provoked legislators from both countries to proclaim tougher approaches, using more military resources as an intervention. However, even with the military deployed as a method to combat drug production, smuggling and use; this effort proved unsuccessful as the demand increased in the United States so would the number of people protesting to end the War on Drugs. Additionally, equivalent polls suggest legalizing marijuana is favored more in the United States by a significant 31% than Mexico (Campos 14).
However, over the past seven years violence in Mexico increased dramatically, from 2005 to 2008 as drug-related deaths in Mexico increased 500 percent (Bussey 23). It is questioned, among Mexico’s society, that the War on Drugs has been responsible for more violence amongst police officials and innocent citizen, debating to call national debate to address this issue and ultimately end the War on Drugs. According to Kellner, and Pipitone, the first shootings involving police officials in Aguascalientes was at the hands of gang members fighting for control over more land to increase product production and would use any means necessary (intimidation and horrendous killings) to prevent anyone from obstructing the drug demand in the United States (39).
With the ongoing demand for drugs in the United States increasing the War on Drugs should be amended, leaving no reasonable suggestion off the table. According to the 2008 Zogby poll, more than half of Americans (or 29% a decade ago) believe marijuana for medical and recreational purposes should not be a crime but handled as a minor offense instead of incarceration and by that choice agree to end the War on Drugs with opinions to legalize the “small stuff” but not the “hard stuff” however, this opinion varies throughout the nation and with over 100 million people admitting to having used marijuana in their life, the debate and act to end the War on Drugs seems almost definite (Martin 150).
In 2009, the U.S. National Drug Intelligence center reported an estimated $38 billion from drug cartels as the demand for narcotics increased throughout the United States. With more American’s experimenting with drugs so did the debate to end the War on Drugs – citing the grossly enormous cost and ineffectiveness throughout its creation and adding the death tolls would decrease and narcotics, in small amounts, could become a marketable product, subjected to taxation. In theory, this approach would end illegal drug organizations throughout Mexico and create rehabilitation centers for drug addicts throughout the United States by implementing an excessive tax for all drug products purchased (Kellner and Pipitone 30).
History suggests that we will eventually overcome this irrational policy and future generations will likely look back on the drug war the way we now look back on Jim Crow segregation. It’s assumed that “future generations will be shocked by the blatant immorality and irrationality of it all” (Campos 15). The War on Drugs is not only a necessity for the safety of America but also serves as a preventative for the young and naïve youths to consider the alternative before the consequences. In an effort to reconstruct or ultimately, end the War on Drugs the debate to legalize drugs is among the most popular debated topics in the United States and Mexico. As both countries proclaim to be the toughest on drugs, the evidence is clearly conflicting.
In Search of Real Reform: Lessons from Mexico’s Long History of Drug Prohibition, author Isaac Campos, suggests; “the War on Drugs is fundamentally responsible for the violence that engulfs Mexico” (Campos 18). Even though the War on Drugs has apparently not been the success anticipated from a state or federal level, the more reason to reconstruct and reflect on the issues in which the War on Drugs was created. Clearly, the real issues, rather than suggest responsibility, would be to focus on the drug issues in question; incarceration, the discrimination in sentencing between drug types (i.e., marijuana, cocaine, crack, etc.) and the overall failure to focus on the source causes of drug abuse. However, these faults should not be the sole reason to end the War on Drugs but the reason to revise it.
There is no question that the War on Drugs is greatly flawed, spending billions of dollars to protect our neighboring country and the borders, in which we share, but without a revised War on Drugs campaign proposing and implementing practices that would eradicate the drug demand and focusing on ways to rehabilitate the endless number of drug addicts rather than a length incarceration. Additionally, without a successful means to end the corruption that has spread throughout every level of government, the War on Drugs will never succeed.
As the War on Drugs is constantly taking criticism from protestors, should the request not be for the end of drugs into our country? Is the real issue ending the War on Drugs to legalize drugs, or should the attention be directed more too why the War on Drugs was implemented decades ago? According to Bussey, “no one is dying for a social cause or defending the country” (26) and while security specialist reiterate Mexico must follow suit, as other countries have overcome “failed states” the War on Drugs can only provide so much aid and assistance to the increasing drug epidemic that is now thriving throughout Mexico and slowly into the United States. With advocates insisting on the demise for the War on Drugs to end drug prohibition and legalize “certain” drugs – the nation is certainly headed for a drug crisis. With the question to legalize drugs, protestors should take into consideration the lives of Mexican’s and how they continue to live with violence and intimidation from organized crime and the positive affect War on Drugs have made in our country and the billions of dollars in aid for a country who is unable to fight drug cartels due to the demand of drugs in the United States.
In closing, rather than advocate the demise of the War on Drugs than focus on its ability to succeed society supporting a cause to prevent the torrent of illegal drugs into the United States and remove the source foundation of drug abuse and focus on treatment and education let’s not let drugs take over our country, lets continue to concentrate on drug demand as well as supply that’s the only way the country will remain free and a productive society.