MikeTalbot wrote:Yeah
Legalize drugs or at least, decrimalize. The drug war has been the primary force in the creation of a police state and feeds buckets of money to police and govt that it steals from abusers.
Pot? Who cares...
the rest of it - well, there were at least a million opiate addicts, probably more, after the War Between the States. Wounds made by .60 calibre rounds or canister shots, amputations etc - just didn't heal that well in those days - still don't for that matter.
You could buy opiates anywhere then - on up to around 1917. Had zero impact on crime and people used it as they wished. Heroin is sometimes called "horse." Reason: "White Horse" brand heroin used to be widely available and even advertised. Back before the nanny state.
I highly recommend not using opiates if you don't have to for medical reasons - you might need that stuff for surgery and have used up your ability to get the relief you'll need. should be legal though - would end associated crime and govt should mind their own business anyway.
Methamphetamine? The meth lab business makes it very dangerous to others. Don't know.
Talbot
This topic is by far one of the most difficult topics I have ever given thought to. I see Multiple sides to this and it drives me nuts. All I can say is this... I have seen both Alcohol AND Drugs, ruin so many lives.
Add to that, they just don't make livers like that, anymore... or brains for that matter.
The issue of ruined lives has become so politicized, that now its become big business. We learned from prohibition that people were gonna booze it up whether it was illegal or not.
The single most overstated assumption that advocates for drug legalization espouse, is that legalizing the drugs will prevent crime. Technically speaking, real Criminals perform crime, with or without drugs. Add to that, real criminals understand that there are no laws which will stop them from engaging in drug use.
But the idea of engaging in the use of Drugs and calling that a crime, is the biggest reason we have prison overflow.
On the other hand, ain't it funny how drugs make some people do some seriously stupid things, which are in fact crimes, which do in fact send them to prison.
So here is my conclusion: Its not my place to tell anybody that they can't smoke pot or shoot up "horse". DO all you want when you want...But the minute you cause harm to me and you effect my interests, then I'm gonna 'take you down ' somehow, some way. So if that proves to be a viable rationale, then why not structure the law in the following manner:
1) Make all or most drugs legal
2) You must be licensed to distribute.
3) Consumers not allowed to carry or engage it outside of home or approved association such as a legal 'den' or club.
4) If you cause harm, destruction, crime or any damage due to adverse behavior (associated with under influence), then double the current mandatory prison sentancess / fines for said violations)
See, the problem with the drug issue, is that most folks want the drugs, but they haven't offered any standards for assuring safe practices,... Remember, Under Civil rights and Constitution : Your rights END where the next guy's BEGIN... and so on. So, All we gotta do is step up to the plate and offer accountability to help the law discern that fuzzy line between people's respective rights. We do that, we can have legalized drugs... Just My opinion.
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 1:31 am