The Recreational Drug Use of the Middle Class Creates Violent Crime for the Working Class

To:  U.S. Congress

The Recreational Drug Use of the Middle Class Creates Violent Crime for the Working Class

Studies show that people of all income levels use drugs recreationally, and those with more money tend to use drugs recreationally more than those with less money.

Many these people with more money drive to a low-income part of the city to purchase their drugs, from street dealers. The dealers are there, because the residents lack the political power to demand better police protection, and because there are a lot of poor kids who need money who can be recruited into the trade.

Because the trade is underground, there is no state enforcement of business deals. So the business becomes dominated by informal “regulation agencies” like gangs (and, often, criminal elements in the police department). Informal regulation requires the use of violence to coerce compliance. This results in increased levels of violent crime in working class neighborhoods.

Moreover, if the police crack down on drug sales, and the overall drug market is relatively small, the street sale business will concentrate in an even smaller area. That small area will serve as a market for all the surrounding areas. This creates a higher concentration of the business compared to the surrounding areas, and a higher rate of violent crime for the people there.

All this is unnecessary violence.

If drugs were legalized, the affluent people driving down to the working class neighborhoods to buy the drugs could purchase their recreational drugs in the areas where they live. The demand for drugs in the working class areas would decline, and the business would disappear or at least decline.

(This petition will be sent to the US Congress.)

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The The Recreational Drug Use of the Middle Class Creates Violent Crime for the Working Class Petition to U.S. Congress was created by and written by John Kawakami (johnk@riceball.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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