New
Mexico
Alliance
Formed
in
Response
to
Governor's
Call
for
Decriminalization
Debate
7/9/99
In the wake of a call by New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson for a reevaluation of the nation's drug policies (see http://www.drcnet.org/wol/096.html#governorspeaks and http://www.drcnet.org/wol/097.html#johnsonemail), a number of that state's organizations have come together to facilitate the discussion. The New Mexico Alliance for Drug Policy Reform is a loose-knit coalition who, according to coordinator Steve Bunch of the Drug Policy Forum of New Mexico, hold a range of viewpoints on the ultimate form of drug policy reform, but who "all recognize that the drug war is causing more problems than it is solving." "It is a growing alliance," Bunch told The Week Online, "and we expect that it will grow to include a broad cross-section of New Mexico's citizens." Bunch said that one of the first goals of any public education effort on the issue is to overcome the stigma that has been attached to reform efforts by drug war advocates, including many politicians. "People who have a vested interest in the status quo would like the public to believe that anyone who questions current policy is somehow 'pro-drug.' That's just not the case. The fact is that here in New Mexico, as in the nation as a whole, we are spending an inordinate amount of taxpayers' money on enforcement and corrections in the name of protecting our children. The reality though is that under the current system, kids in this state have easy access to prohibited substances. There is no licensing scheme, no one checks ID's. If our goal is really the protection of children then I would have to agree with Governor Johnson when he called the drug war 'a miserable failure.'" Bunch hopes that the coalition will be able to provide factual information to the people and the political leaders of the state, and to participate in an open debate on the pros and cons of the current system and possible alternatives. "It's time," he says, "to begin a discussion that has been put off for far too long due to the uneasiness of many politicians to confront it. It has been far easier to simply talk 'tough,' and when the results weren't there, to talk 'tougher.' But I think that we've seen the limits of that type of simplistic approach. Now, around the country, courageous leaders like Governor Johnson are calling forth a principled debate. The alliance has formed to make it easier for that debate to happen." (If you'd like to make a donation or provide other support to the Alliance, contact Steve Bunch, president of the New Mexico Drug Policy Foundation, at (505) 344-1932. Also, if you haven't done so, please email Governor Johnson to show your support for his politically courageous stand against the drug war. He needs to know that thinking Americans applaud his efforts. You can reach Governor Johnson on the web at http://164.64.43.1/opinion/Opinion.htm, or call (505) 827-3000.
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