Drug war violence threatens to spill over into the U.S.

The drug war craziness that's occurring in El Paso and Juarez is just another sign that our drug policies aren't working.

It's time we take a look at some new approaches to drugs.

The El Paso city council wanted to encourage a look at possible legalization of drugs as a way to combat the murder and crime.

Few people take the position that drugs are a good thing. However, legislating morality and behavior to the degree that the drug war does has brought us nothing but tragedy.

This tragedy is being played out on the border between Mexico and the U.S.

More jail and harsher punishment doesn't work. In fact it costs us money that we don't have in our current financial state.

The best way to stop the violence is to take away the profit motive. Namely, we eliminate the illegality surcharge that drives up drug profits. By opening drugs up for regulation, we offer those who use drugs an opportunity to come into the open, to seek treatment, and to purchase drugs through official channels--without the violence.

Drug cartels cannot compete with official purveyors. Their drug business will wither and die and along with it the violence they bring to the business.

That's what we ultimately want anyway.