Open letter to the people of Colorado

Subject:  Even if you hate marijuana, vote yes on Prop 44

Although the PROPOSITION 44 campaign to legalize marijuana points out the obvious hypocrisy
between alcohol being legal and marijuana being illegal, the most compelling reasons to legalize marijuana
go basically unexpressed. While it is important to rectify the glaring moral/Christian/Judeo/Muslim/etc./ethical
inconsistencies between society's willingness to imprison a person for choosing one intoxicant (marijuana)
over another (alcohol), it is equally important to address the practical implications of such a policy.

This editorial will address dangerous ramifications of the "war on drugs" that tax payers should selfishly
consider, even if they are willing to ignore the moral inconsistency of the current drug hypocrisy.

When it comes to the criminal justice system, tax dollars should be spent catching, prosecuting, and
incarcerating REAL criminals. A REAL criminal is one who does something to someone against that
person's will... rapists, robbers, murderers, child molesters etc.   I, like all other taxpayers I know,
am willing to spend serious tax dollars catching, prosecuting and imprisoning such people.  Anyone who
watches the news has seen the tragedy of a previously convicted REAL criminal doing harm to a man,
woman or CHILD because the criminal justice system failed to convict and keep that person incarcerated
for long enough. From my past experience as a criminal defense attorney, I can personally attest that the
current drug laws allow REAL criminals to hide behind the throngs of drug offenders and avoid serious
prosecution. This is because we have limited resources in the form of police, prosecutors, judges and jails.
Before another drug offender ties up the criminal justice system, all known child molesters, rapists, robbers
and murderers should be behind bars. I don't want my children to run the risk of exposure to a repeat
offender because the criminal justice system is so overcrowded that it has to cut sweetheart deals with REAL
criminals. Police should focus all their energy on catching REAL criminals. Prosecutors should focus all their
energy on prosecuting REAL criminals. Judges and their court rooms should be devoted to imposing harsh
sanctions on REAL criminals. Our limited jail space should be devoted to housing REAL criminals.

The current "war on drugs" depletes the resources and ability of the police, the prosecutors, the judges and
the jails, to apprehend, prosecute and incarcerate the sort of people we ALL agree should be kept behind
bars. In light of alcohol's ubiquitous use, it certainly seems unjust to make marijuana illegal, but I want pot
legalized to make more room in the criminal justice system for REAL criminals to be dealt with harshly.

Even if you are a beer drinking, martini sipping, wine connoisseur hypocrite, please VOTE YES
on PROPOSITION 44 so we can put REAL criminals behind bars and keep them there.

Thanks,
Perry R. Sanders, Jr.

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