Legalizing drugs

One reads yet another story about the Drug Enforcement Agency’s bust of members of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel for trafficking in dangerous and destructive illegal opioids fentanyl, methamphetamine, and others. A large quantity of cash was likewise seized. (“A Warning for Cartel Members: Local Sinaloa takedown part of large fed push to wipe out organization,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 9/4/2025)

It is long past the time when these drugs should have been legalized. Once that occurs, drug addiction immediately will become a public health and medical problem, not a criminal law enforcement and incarceration problem. A massive switch from prisons to drug treatment centers would occur. In addition, the corruption afflicting the criminal justice system – bribes taken by DEA agents and their state counterparts – would disappear overnight.

It is true that a substantial part of my law practice would dry up. However, that is a sacrifice I’m more than happy to make.

Harvey A. Silverglate

Cambridge

ICE in Boston

Really don’t understand why both Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura  Healey are so hell bent against having U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  agents in Massachusetts with legal documents do their job.

If Wu and Healey don’t like what they doing, then contact our nine Massachusetts Congressional representatives and change the law.

Tony Meschini

Scituate

Aircraft carriers

The U.S. Navy’s worldwide sea power commitments require the availability of at least 11 aircraft carrier strike groups.

Our 11 aircraft carriers barely meet deployment needs due to world-wide flareups, transit times, routine maintenance, emergency maintenance, and in-port replenishment.

The useful life of our carriers is 50 years, and our oldest carrier, the USS Nimitz, is 50 years old and due for retirement. Its retirement will probably be extended.

Two Ford class carriers are under construction, the USS John F. Kennedy and the USS Enterprise. Both carriers should incorporate drone warfare operations. We need to approve construction of our next Ford class carrier, CVN -82, the USS Clinton, as soon as possible to replace aging carriers and it should incorporate offensive and defensive drone warfare systems.

Delays in the procurement and construction of the Clinton will have significant negative impacts on our Navy ship building production lines which include 2,000 businesses and 60,000 workers. If the situation isn’t addressed soon, suppliers could disappear, and highly skilled workers could move on to other jobs. Furthermore, the carrier shipbuilding industry might not be able to recover from these losses.

The United States has to continue to challenge the expanding naval forces of China and Russia; and keep the sea lanes open. About 90% of world trade flows across the oceans.

Donald Moskowitz

Londonderry, NH