ZOT: How Do We End The War On Drugs?

about.com ^ | Andrew Somers

[Mike4Freedom]

I have yet to read where someone says, "Get rid of the WOD and we can close X% of our prisons, shut down X% of our courts, or cut the size of the police force by X%, have you? Ever? With or without the WOD, these people would still have a job.

Well you are reading it now! The police and prison guards know very well that there would be massive lay-offs if drugs were legal. That is why the California correctional workers union was the main contributor to the campaign against prop 215.

With legal drugs, there would be less real crime and more police time to deal with it. We wouldn't be turning murderers out early to make room for MJ users with mandatory minimum sentences.

And yes, I would legalize everything and treat it like we treat alcohol now. Even heroine is not worse than alcohol and MJ is just about nothing.

Check these numbers:Deaths from:
Tobacco 400,000
alcohol 110,000
all illegal drugs 15,000
aspirin 2,000
Marijuana 00.00

[freedumb2003]

Why was this Zotted? I tried to find out as I eaded through but there are more than 51 posts (the maximum I can go before jumping to the end).

I am anti-WOD and see it like the author (and you apparently) do.

[robertpaulsen]

"We wouldn't be turning murderers out early to make room for MJ users with mandatory minimum sentences."

Therefore, we'd have the same number of prisoners. Therefore we need the same number of prisons. Therefore we need the same number of guards.

Exactly what I said.

[robertpaulsen]

"That is why the California correctional workers union was the main contributor to the campaign against prop 215."

Not true. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association was not a contributor at all to Proposition 215.

[Mike4Freedom]

Not true. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association was not a contributor at all to Proposition 215.

Have you ever run for office?, or sold used cars? You have an uncanny ability to turn stuff around. The California corrections union contributed to the campaign AGAINST prop 215.

[Mike4Freedom]

Not true. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association was not a contributor at all to Proposition 215.

Have you ever run for office?, or sold used cars? You have an uncanny ability to turn stuff around. The California corrections union contributed to the campaign AGAINST prop 215.

[Mike4Freedom]

Therefore, we'd have the same number of prisoners. Therefore we need the same number of prisons. Therefore we need the same number of guards.

We cannot know for sure if the removal of drug prisoners and the increase in real criminals due to focused police work will cancel out or not, but obviously, the nation will be better off because the correction resources will no longer be wasted on harmless folks.

[robertpaulsen]

"The California corrections union contributed to the campaign AGAINST prop 215."

Sorry. Let me re-phrase: "The California corrections union contributed nothing to the campaign AGAINST prop 215.

[robertpaulsen]

So, no "massive" layoffs after all?