This is about a courageous act by a Mexican girl and cowardly capitulation by local politicians in the face of
heinous federal and state coercion.
UTEP student Nubia Legarda, speaking to the El Paso City
Counsel, said the issue of legalization should be studied as a way to end the drug-related violence that led to 1,600 slayings in Juarez last year.
The City Counsel had unanimously passed a resolution calling for a study
to consider legalizing drugs, which was vetoed by the mayor. Nubia spoke
at a hearing to consider overriding the Mayor's veto. Federal and Texas
officials sent letters to Counsel members threatening loss of federal
and state funding for El Paso if the veto was overridden. Half of the
Counsel members capitulated to this heinous coercion.
