How to Make from Colombia a More Peaceful Country.
Whenever I go to Medellín, despite it being one of the
best cities in Colombia, I still see a lot of crime and drugs in the streets,
and that's an issue that needs to be addressed by government since, even though
Medellín is such a successful city, it would thrive even more had it not been
submerged in drug cartels and other forms of street violence that affects the
everyday life of thousands of people.
One of the most bizarre ways to diminish violence in
my opinion, is to legalize drugs.
This
is a really controversial way to make from Colombia a more peaceful country,
but in my opinion, is one of the last chances we have to fight against our own
history.
If
we really think about it, we have been in a war for the
control of drugs for more than 50
years, and nothing really has changed. In that whole time, Colombia, even
though now is less violent, is still one of the leading countries in drug
trafficking, and violence within our own land. This, however, could change if we
stop criminalizing people who draw upon selling drugs, killing and robbing for
their subsistence, and actually start helping them succeed in a clean,
non-violent way while promoting education and fair opportunities to progress for everyone.
Most people who fall into the hands of crime is
because they either grew upon those conditions, or don´t really have another
option, this due, of course, to the poor governmental organization. We, as a
country, need to realize as soon as possible that problems aren´t solved with
bullets, but rather with compassion, education, and social justice. People who had never had
access to education won´t know that there is hope in life, as in getting a job,
having a family, but rather they think life is just a survival game, where
everything counts and is possible, as long as you can survive.
In legalizing drugs, people are given a
chance to make things right, by having their own businesses, using health
parameters, and much more; furthermore, it could help economy grow. These are some of the concepts shared by those nations where Cannabis is legalized.
Countries like Canada have already completely legalized Marihuana, because its government found out that if they had alcohol legalized, they could take an economic advantage and legalize another substance of the same category, but this goes hand in hand with awareness campaings of the risks and potential health hazards of consuming it at a young age and for long terms. Portugal, as well, was summed in drugs no more than 30 years ago, and by legalizing them, they stopped seeing drug addicts as threats and violence goers, but rather as people who needed from their government. However, legalizing Cannabis won't be the solution, if you see that drug dealers are trafficking with more illegal and stronger substances.
We can make good things happen by eradicating corruption. We just need to seek alternatives to violence and make a social change, together as a country, not forgetting that intervening in Venezuelan conflict will subtract to the continental peace.
Countries like Canada have already completely legalized Marihuana, because its government found out that if they had alcohol legalized, they could take an economic advantage and legalize another substance of the same category, but this goes hand in hand with awareness campaings of the risks and potential health hazards of consuming it at a young age and for long terms. Portugal, as well, was summed in drugs no more than 30 years ago, and by legalizing them, they stopped seeing drug addicts as threats and violence goers, but rather as people who needed from their government. However, legalizing Cannabis won't be the solution, if you see that drug dealers are trafficking with more illegal and stronger substances.
We can make good things happen by eradicating corruption. We just need to seek alternatives to violence and make a social change, together as a country, not forgetting that intervening in Venezuelan conflict will subtract to the continental peace.
