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War Against Drugs is a Bad Idea |
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Legalize Drugs
Many of us who have never done drugs and
who are old enough to have lived through the Prohibition era remember --
- raids on liquor stills;
- raids on speakeasies (alcohol-selling night clubs);
- otherwise decent people becoming bootleggers;
- liquor-makers and -sellers killing and bombing each other;
- innocent people caught up in the slaughter;
- cops corrupted and killed.
Today, it's the same situation in drug traffic.
When Prohibition was repealed, more people felt free to drink, and the percent of alcoholics probably rose a bit.
But nobody is being killed over a pint of wine. Cops aren't being killed or corrupted by bootleggers. Extreme cases to the contrary, society is safer today in terms of alcohol than it was under Prohibition.
About heroin, pot, lsd, cocaine, or whatever is the latest fad drug, the government's role should be to warn against harm, just as it warns against excessive sun-tanning and against smoking. Then the government should back off. It's one thing to say too much sun might be harmful; it's another to have beach police ordering people to get out of the sun; It's appropriate for the government to warn that too many aspirin can kill you or cause stomach problems; it is inappropriate for government to attempt to control your use of aspirin.
The logic is clear: Legalize or at least decriminalize drugs.
One thing, though. Each of us should be held totally responsible for our actions. "Diminished capacity" because we're drunk on booze or high on coke should never reduce our punishment for any crime we commit -- whether that crime is just disturbing the peace or assault or robbery or murder. We must be held responsible for getting into a state where "I didn't know what I was doing."
Just a thought.
Frank Versagi
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Ongoing developments about Drugs Legalize Drugs, some police officials
agree The 12-minute video quoting law enforcement officials is available at www.leap.cc. The website address for Common Sense is www.CSDP.org Drug Czar?
Please. Decriminalize drugs instead 2,000 cops
work to end unsuccessful drug war Michigan no longer allows
alcohol intoxication as an excuse Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca added, "Defendants can no longer say, 'I had too much to drink ... I didn't mean it.'" Canada moves to
legalize marijuana Michigan eases
overly severe drug penalties 'Should we Re-Legalize Drugs?' is the challenging opening question in a brochure on the website of the Libertarian Party. Recalling that "cocaine was even found in the original Coca Cola recipe," the site points out that at one time drugs like cocaine, heroin, opium, and marijuana "were inexpensive, crime was low." Repeating the point made in the last paragraph of the essay at the top of this page, the Libertarian documents suggests, "It's time to re-legalize drugs and let people take responsibility for themselves. "Drug abuse is a tragedy and a sickness," the article continues. "Criminal laws only drive the problem underground and put money in the pockets of the criminal class. Prohibition didn't work with alcohol. It obviously isn't working with drugs. I welcome Ferndale's attempt to legalize the medical use of marijuana as a first stop toward decriminalizing drug use -- so long as as "being under the influence" -- of anything -- is never accepted as an excuse for other illegal behavior. -- 20 Sep 05 During Royal Oak's budget debates "quality of life" has become a mantra, a copout. The implication is that any cut in city services will lead to the end of civilization as we know it. Nonsense. City government needs not to "do more with less," but to "do less." I will elaborate, even pontificate! in the weeks to come, by becoming a pretend-candidate for city commissioner. -- FJV: 25 Sep 05 Colorado resort
puts pot on ballot French-based
study group suggests licensing opium as a painkiller Another argument
for decriminalizing drugs? Another argument for decriminalizing drugs? |
On this page Michigan no longer allows alcohol intoxication as an excuse Canada moves to legalize marijuana Michigan eases overly severe drug penalties 'Should we
Re-Legalize Drugs?' Prohibition didn't work with alcohol. Colorado resort puts pot on ballot French-based study group suggests licensing opium as a painkiller |