The New England Conference of United Methodist Churches passed a resolution calling for an end on the war on drugs.
Jennifer LeClaire, senior editor for Charisma News, said in column the resolution is “ridiculous.”
“Although the war on drugs hasn't ended drug abuse, I have to believe it has made a difference,” she said. “Nevertheless, at a time when some churches are capitulating on gay marriage, other churches are suggesting we give up the battle against barbiturates, marijuana, crack, heroine and the slew of newfangled highs hitting the streets today.”
LeClaire says that Methodists are arguing that that regulation of illicit drugs would mean less lives “lost to overdoes” and less violence and deaths for citizens and police officers.
“Even if we lay down our weapons—even if we made it all legal for adults—there will be drugs sold on the black market to underage consumers looking for a quick fix at any cost,” she said.
“How does ending the war on drugs save lives?” LeClaire added. “The criminal element will not vanish just because we stop prohibiting drugs, and let's not forget that intoxicated drivers killed over 10,000 people in 2013 alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs in 1971. In 2986, President Ronald Reagan passed the Drug Abuse Act.
Publication date: July 17, 2015
