The drug war

http://beta.news.yahoo.com/four-decades-later-time-scrap-dead-end-drug-124210131.html

I just read this and am even more annoyed about the "War on Drugs". Yes, legalizing pot would certainly make a big impact on the entire situation, but my biggest gripe is how the US is governed to treat the traffickers who do smuggle drugs, all kinds, to our Country.

My suggestion is simple and effective. Kill them. Kill them all. Under current laws, Border Patrol and DEA are only allowed to arrest smugglers after they're caught on US soil and the penalties are limited to a slight amount of jail time or deportation. A very, very gentle slap on the wrist or an excuse to go back and do it again. If I was a criminal breaking the law and knew the worst case for me was to hang out in prison for a year then get back to making money hand over fist, you're damn right I'd keep doing it. There is no threat of anything bad happening here. And that's only if they're caught, odds are enough guys try swimming across the Rio Grande over a long enough stretch and half of them will make it, the Patrol simply cannot cover every square inch of river and border all the time.

So just kill them? Yes. To begin, they are criminals, participating in criminal activity. It's pretty clear when you see a guy swimming across the river or jumping a fence with a load of cocaine that he's not doing it legally, so the law is already broken. What's more is that they are also entering the Country illegally, another crime. That's two. Furthermore, they're making money on it and risking the lives of our own citizens by doing these criminal acts, which is another two strikes. So let's say instead of sitting on the shore, waiting for them to sneak out and arrest them, you just shoot them dead in the water. Or half way up the fence. Bingo, problem solved. Seize the drugs, destroy them, and not only that, but you've eliminated one more potential criminal to cross our border. Want more? If the penalty for taking such action was death, fewer and fewer smugglers would try it. The fact is with no real punishment for breaking these laws the smugglers don't mind a seizure once in a while or a few guys locked away for a bit, they can afford it. But if there was nothing but seizures, and no one to do the smuggling, how would they go on? Where are the profits then?

Yes, it's basically allowing for murder to go on unpunished. But how many people are murdered already due to the drug war? How many INNOCENT people? Instead of just letting it continue on and trying to fight it with weak attempts, our government needs to take serious action and put their foot down. You smuggle drugs into this Country illegally? You die. No arrest, no trial, no verdict, just a bullet. I'm pretty sure things would soon settle down at the borders with that in effect. Plus, imagine how many new recruits we'd get to the departments and agencies, people getting the chance to relieve their stress and actually see their efforts pay off would be do wonders for morale. More jobs, that's always a plus.

I know it's big. And it's deep. And probably a very murky quagmire of responsibilities no one wants to accept. But it's a start, and a bold one at that.