Drugs

A snip from my home town news paper, the El Paso Times

EL PASO – Mayor John Cook vetoed a unanimous vote by City Council that earlier Tuesday asked the federal governemnt to seriously study the idea of legalizing drugs in response to the violence that has plagued Juárez.

In what is the third veto of his administration, Cook said the council’s position “was not consistent with community standards both locally and nationally. I urge council to reconsider supporting the original wording as recommended.”

Council voted 8-0 earlier today to approve a resolution that outlined 11 steps the U.S. and Mexican governments needed to take to deal with the violence that has resulted in more than 1,600 homicides in Juárez.

South-West city Rep. Beto O’Rourke added a 12th step, which asked the U.S. government to have “an honest debate on the decriminalization of narcotics.”

I’m with Beto. But would decriminalization really put a sock in this incredible violence?