Editorialists

 US and Colombia: Cocaine Growing- US trying to wean Colombian farmers off of growing cocaine Most of the farmers in Colombia have become accustomed to growing cocaine .  The Coca plant thrives in the climate of Colombia, and it brings in much profit for the farmers .  But the coca plant produces the drug cocaine .  One cocaine farmer, who is a devout Catholic, does not ever want his son to use cocaine, has agreed with the US and the Colombian government, and has started to grow alternative crops .  The U . S has begun to send troops to fight off the guerrilla fighters who try to protect the cash crop .  This has become the reality of many Colombian cocaine growers .  The US is against the Colombians growing cocaine because cocaine is a major problem in America <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> The US government has been spraying pesticide over Colombian cocaine farms <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> The pesticides do their job in destroying the cocaine plants <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> But there has been other detrimental effects <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> “Military planes targeting coca farms, funded by the US, had been spraying mists of pesticides over food crops, grazing animals and even areas where children were playing, she said: locals were complaining of breathing problems and rashes; "strips of skin" have been peeling off cows, and chickens have died; and maize, yucca, plantain and cacao crops have wilted and shriveled <span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0,112,192); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">” The US involvement has helped decrease the number of cocaine farms in Colombia, but the number is still growing. Kyle Mc <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">  A Colombian Cocaine farmer

 A farmer holding up the fruits of the coca plant  The Coca flower  A Colombian growing alternative crops (coffee) Www.pixunlimited.co.uk. 02 Apr. 2009 [|�6�]http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/environment/gallery/2008/may/21/drugstrade.colombia/DA_1_conTexto21dic-8816.jpg. Welcome to Global Eye. 02 Apr. 2009 [|�10�]http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_autumn04/eyeon/images/farmer.jpg. The Irrepressible Underground / Black / Illegal Economy. 02 Apr. 2009 [|�14�]http://www.illegaleconomy.com/im/peru-coca-trade-1.jpg. Http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5968176,00.jpg. 2 Apr. 2009 [|�18�]http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5968176,00.jpg. "Colombia's cocaine farmers are turning over a new leaf." Access my library. 2 Apr. 2009 [|�23�]http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-5814732_ITM.

<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(255,0,0); line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; background-color: rgb(255,255,0);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255,255,255);">In the country of Colombia the coca plant is a main cash crop. Farming and economy thrives off this plant. Everything seems perfect but the coca plant produces the powdery potent drug Cocaine. Due to trade outside of Colombia the United States is trying to prevent coca farms from farming the crop because cocaine is a illegal drug and also a big problem in the united states. Coca farms should keep on growing and maintaining the coca plant because it is an essential plant in farming and wealth in the economy. Colombia produces more cocaine than any other country. Taking this plant away will severely hurt their economy. The U.S is selfish and only cares about its problems. They don’t look at the conflict through a different perspective and see that destroying the plant will hurt Colombia. The pesticides that they are spraying on the plants to kill them are having negative side effects. They are destroying livestock and are giving people severe rashes. The pesticides aren’t only affecting the coca plant but other crops that are essential for surviving such as corn and vegetable crops. . All Colombia's neighbors’ - Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil - oppose the "fumigation" policy. The Andean and European parliaments have called for its suspension, as have numerous environmentalists, scientists and politicians in Colombia. But spraying has intensified since the launch in 2000 of Plan Colombia, the US-funded counter-narcotics strategy. The increased spraying of pesticides can turn out bad for America. To eradicate the coca plant is nowhere near the United State’s budget plan. They have already spent over six billion dollars try to destroy it. With money being wasted and the economy plunging downhill, coca plant in Colombia is not Americas’ first priority. Contain the cocaine problem in America before taking on the problem in Colombia. Gianni Morgan <span style="background-color: rgb(255,255,255);">