Dear Editor:A recent L.A. Times article details the widespread growing of medical marijuana in a town up north whose economy is depressed by little demand for wood products and the logging industry has largely disappeared. Trinity County's unemployment rate has soared to 15.9 percent in September, one of the highest in the state. Our current drug problems brought back memories of growing up in south Chicago during national prohibition of alcohol (1920-33). This noble experiment was to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prison and poorhouse, and improve health and hygiene in America. Studies indicate that Prohibition failed miserably on all counts. In those days, a bottle of beer in your icebox could get you a heavy fine and/or time in jail. The lessons of Prohibition remain important today but we are not known for learning from history. Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it soon increased. Crime increased and became "organized" by big gangs (who can forget Chicago's big Al Capone?); the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point and corruption of police and politicians was widespread. One big drug gang (Gangsters) dressed in police uniforms broke into the establishment of another rival gang. They ordered the men to stand facing a wall and, with favorite weapons of those days, the Thompson submachine gun (Tommy gun), they cut them down like harvesting wheat in a field; that was called eliminating your competition. The Tommy gun was a favorite of gangsters during Prohibition because of its large.45 cartridge and high volume of fire. Gangsters liked it since they could quickly and easily eliminate the competition and innocent victims. Today, you can buy booze just about everywhere. - Byron Dillon, Downey

********** Published: November 6, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 29