Ah I misunderstood.  I understand that just removing the laws won't stop drug use.  I believe it would remove the taboo and possible drug use might go down slightly.  Proper education and rehab for the ones that want it will help.  Propaganda and lies doesn't help keep kids off drugs.  Those pot commercials that run in USA showing teenagers running down a kid in fast food parking lot, showing a kid blow his brains out, etc aren't really helping the cause.  That is pure b.s. propaganda.  Maybe if we actually educated them without lies and propaganda then D.A.R.E. would be more effective.  The only thing that I remember from D.A.R.E. in middle school was it made me more curious about drugs.  I was also shown the dangers of smoking cigarettes and vowed never to smoke them.  Well peer pressure and since a lot of the high school students were doing it at the time eventually led me into cigs.  Luckily I quit those.  Even knowing the negative side effects will not stop people doing a drug for short term "benefits". 

I just see no need in spending billions of dollars to bust some crackhead, pothead, meth-head, etc...   If they commit a crime like stealing then go ahead and arrest them.  If they are staying at home doing drugs then I could care less.

I hate to say this as a supporter of the right to bear arms, but it seems our government does not agree with any of the ideas proposed in this thread and believes gun control is the answer. It also appears the Mexican government agrees.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/14/mexico.guns/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

"This report confirms what many of us already know to be true. ... It is still too easy for Mexican drug lords to get their hands on deadly military-grade weapons within our borders," Schumer said. "We need to redouble our efforts to keep violent firearms out of the hands of these traffickers."
The senators are calling for reinstatement of an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and better enforcement of a ban on the import of military-style weapons.
They also want to close a provision that allows private sellers at gun shows to sell weapons without a background check.

In a 2010 speech to the U.S. Congress, Mexican President Felipe Calderon called for action similar to what the U.S. senators propose.
"If you don't regulate the sale of arms in the right way, nothing guarantees that the criminals won't have access to these," Calderon said. "There are more than 7,000 gun stores along the border with Mexico where anyone can buy. I ask Congress to help us and understand how important it is to have strong laws to avoid arming the criminals."

well if the cartels are not able to purchase better weapons than the mexican army has...its certainly a start.

It is their god-given right to possess those semi-automatic weapons so that they may protect their freedoms

I think gun ownership should have far more restrictions or be illegal. So many crimes would of never happened because many buy them not to protect but to hurt.

What percentage of those guns were bought legally?

Did you realize that anyone could make an AK47 and ammunition in their garage using readily available materials and tools? Do you really think that making them illegal will prevent criminals from having them?

Simple solution to drugs, Legalize it and undercut all the gangs and cartels globally by selling in stores at an cheaper price and gain billions in taxes and use that money to educate the gang members and the affected people in the community and we can all live happly together.

Sad part is, many of the US-bought guns were sold by the ATF to the cartels to track them. Look up 'Project Gunrunner'. It has resulted in the deaths of many Americans and Mexicans. Could be one of the biggest political scandals in a long time if more would report it. Its not America's freedom to own guns, but mostly one of the worst projects of all time concocted by Eric Holder and the ATF.

The best, fastest, cheapest and smartest way to deal with it would be wholesale legalization of drugs - pot first, then eventually everything else once everyone saw that it wasn't the harm to society as previously thought.

The Mexican drug wars are no different than the mobster violence during the United States' prohibition. Illegal activities have a way of bringing out the worst kind of people, and empowers them to get bigger and stronger than they should be. By legalizing and regulating drugs, you would put the cartels out of business, as they could not compete with legal, American growers.

Studies show that the legalization of Pot would result in a $50 billion dollar a year savings for the government between ending the War of Drugs and tax revenues. The number doubles to nearly $100 billion if other drugs are made legal.

As others have said, and Portugal is proof that, legalization does not result in more usage of drugs. Its actually the opposite, as people try the drugs and as they are no longer are taboo, realize they are stupid and get off the drugs. Portugal de-criminalized even hard drugs, and saw a 70% reduction in usage of hard drugs like Heroin over a 6 year period.

The US doesn't need stricter gun laws to help the situation. They need to secure the border.

Gun laws don't really effect gun availability anymore then drug laws effect drug availability.



Legalizing drugs, while a move i would support... wouldn't really help mexico, because the government would tax the hell out of it meaning there would still be a big black market for it.

It's one of many reason's to be against "sin" taxes.

That shows a complete lack of knowledge of how criminals work.

Guns bought to be used in crimes are not bought legally the vast majority of the time.

Because legal guns are tied to people via registration.