Asset forfeiture is worst strategy of failed war on drugs

The Chicago Sun-Times editorial [“Law Needs to Rein In Government Seizures,” April 19] supporting the reform of Illinois and federal forfeiture laws regarding drugs and suspected drug proceeds was spot-on correct, and former administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Peter Bensinger’s contrary opinion was dead wrong. [“Seize cartel assets best way to beat them,” letter to the editor, April 22].

As the Chicago Sun-Times editorialized on June 22, 2010, “America’s War on Drugs is over — we lost — and it’s time to get real about our drug laws.”

Draconian prison sentences, outlawed medical marijuana, zero tolerance, U.N. drug prohibition treaties, police impunity for use of excess force and asset forfeitures are all artifacts of a lost and wrong-headed war on drugs, euphemism for “war on communities and people.”

The failed war on drugs causes so much violence, incarceration, corruption and destruction of life, liberty, public health and safety worldwide that a special session of the United Nation General Assembly just adjourned Thursday in New York City a rare three-day meeting of world leaders regarding “the world drug problem.” Old guard drug prohibitionists and U.N. agencies prevailed and, according to the “Outcome Document” incomprehensibly adopted the first hour of the special session before any discussion, accomplished requiring that all drug policy and reforms must be subject to existing U.N. drug war treaties.

Assets forfeiture is one of the worst strategies of the failed world war on drugs. It sweeps suspected and actual drug-war assets from the lap of drug dealers and pours them into the lap of law enforcement like pirates. Though the drug was is lost and over, and everyone knows it, it’s gravy train riders support it because of their personal economic interests.

The week before the Illinois General Assembly passed medical marijuana the first DEA Administrator Peter Bensinger spoke against it at Moraine Valley Community College, an event sponsored by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

Finally, the arrest Gangster Disciple chief Larry Hoover, like the arrests of “El Chapo” Guzman, Pablo Escobar (killed in the process) and Al Capone, did not slow the flow of drug prohibition profits at all. Reform drug laws, as the Chicago Sun-Times times says.

James E. Gierach, Palos Park

What Hastert doesn’t deserve

Former House majority whip Tom DeLay, no saint himself, says of Dennis Hastert, “He doesn’t deserve what he is going through.”

What Hastert doesn’t deserve is to ever have been speaker of the House. Had his misdeeds been made known when he first entered the political arena, he never would have been elected to any public office.

Dan McGuire, Bensenville

Great report

Dan Mihalopoulos’ report on Monterrey Security was great.

The blame goes to the Park District commissioners, who should start to open up the bidding process for another firm, and if the Philadelphia-based SMG should be held accountable if Monterrey employs security staff that could cause a potential security threat to Soldier Field, perhaps SMG needs to be removed and not given a long-term deal.

The Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman reported back when Chicago was bidding for the 2016 Olympics about how Monterrey got the security detail for Chicago 2016 because of politics. You will see real change when the whole system changes.

Frank Bennett Rowder, Lake View

Painful and sad

The Lucas Museum’s continuing, embarrassing land grab debacle reminds us of what it looks like when a civilization brings about its own demise. It’s painful and sad to watch anyone participating in their own downfall. And that is precisely what the dysfunctional leadership of our potentially magnificent city is bringing about. Will Chicago be able to reclaim some of the stature that it has been losing? Stay tuned, and remain a bit of a dreamer. But in the meantime, don’t abandon our gem of a lakefront and Daniel Burnham’s superb vision for it to remain free and open to the public. Without it our beloved city will be unlikely to actualize its potential.

Leon J. Hoffman, Lake View

Profoundly concerned

As a cash-strapped adult student who has recently gone back to college to finish a bachelor’s degree at NEIU, I am profoundly concerned about the state of our financials.

Sure, not everyone can have what they want and we all need to make sacrifices.

Although I am grateful for the immediate funding the bipartisan vote for higher education will bring, I am uneasy with the contentious and sometimes unclear private agendas driving decision makers.

That said, it is no surprise citizens have distrust for the political system given the lack of transparency and closed-door talks going on in Springfield.

To paraphrase Jack Franks, take your ideology and leave it somewhere else. Please!

Jasna Colic, Uptown

New guise

Donald Trump now discloses that he is morphing into something new, that we hadn’t been seeing the real, authentic, genuine Donald up until now. With some chameleon-like characteristic that shifts into variable veneer, we will now see a new guise, a “more presidential” masquerade by Trump. This sequel to the “tell it like it is” Donald is the recently contrived facade necessary to capture those voting blocs beyond the raging far-right that have eagerly flocked to Trump. But reality has dawned: Mean-spirited name-calling and bumper sticker eloquence aren’t going to be effective when moving on into the far side of the fringe. A new retooled pretense will show us a “different man.”

Who will Trump be when dealing with the leaders of other world nations? General George Patton, Winston Churchill, Jerry Springer? I there a real Trump under the disguise, or is there just insincere and fraudulent camouflage concealing an expensive but empty suit?

Ron Lewandowski, Lindenhurst