LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUP SEEKS DRUG LEGALIZATION

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an ever-growing
conglomeration that advocates ending prohibition of all Schedule 1
drugs.

Recently Matthew McCally, a spokesperson for the international
organization, talked to criminal justice classes at UMKC and also Blue
River Community College on the merits of legalizing and maintaining
the production of illegal drugs.

"LEAP's goals are: (1) To educate the public, the media, and policy
makers to the failure of current drug policy by presenting a true
picture of the history, causes and effects of drug abuse and the
crimes related to drug prohibition and (2) To restore the public1s
respect for law enforcement, which has been greatly diminished by its
involvement in imposing drug prohibition," reads the Mission Statement
on LEAP's Web site.

"I think Matt's information was excellent," said Elyse Max, graduate
student, sociology, who asked the former officer to come and speak to
the UMKC criminal justice classes.

"It's one thing to hear an activist or student disagree with the drug
war, but when a probation officer comes out and quits his job because
he feels that a policy is unjust, it makes the issue more tangible,"
said Max.

McCally was vocal about his convictions on the matter.

"Every hour of investigation and every tax dollar expended against
non-violent drug users is time and money spent not fighting real
crime: theft, fraud, assault, murder. The system of justice is filled
to bursting with millions of peaceful adults whose only 'crime' is to
prefer pot to tobacco or heroin to whiskey."

Prohibition, being one of the more controversial domestic issues,
elicits debate from both sides of the student body at UMKC.

Graham Potter, a senior majoring in criminal justice and studying to
become a lawyer, agreed with McCally.

"To me, the personal freedom of the individual is important," Potter
said. "If a person wants to use drugs, they should be able to...
people should be allowed to make their own choices."

Although Potter doesn't agree with the prohibition laws, he doesn't
see them being overturned.

"While it costs money to put people in prison and put them on
corrections, it also creates many jobs," Potter said. "The creation of
prisons can support whole towns. It also makes money for lawyers."

On the other end of the spectrum, freshman Sarah Motlong responded
"absolutely not" when asked if prohibition should end.

"It's detrimental to people's health and their ability to think,"
Motlong said.

She believes the legalization of drugs would increase the level of
crime.

"Alcohol and drug abuse are directly related to the instances of child
abuse," said Motlong.

And in response to the position of McCally and LEAP Motlong said, "I
don't see how that all adds up."

This international organization has members ranging from police and
judges to parole officers and prosecutors. LEAP began with five
founders and has grown to almost 4,000 in the United States and in 48
other countries.

To get in contact with LEAP organization, call (781) 393-6985 or visit
their Web site at www.leap.cc.