[new cruelty]

You're right, if you are living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford the penalty, as the law stands now, it is best not to do the crime at all.

[eno_]

Drug use is at most a vice. How does it fit the commonsense definition of a crime? Just because something is illegal does not make it a crime. And if you think so, I guess you wouldn't mind having the EPA or state enviro cops take a look at what you store in your garage, whether any oil has been spilled around your oil tank, etc.?

[FreeTally]

You're right, if you are living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford the penalty, as the law stands now, it is best not to do the crime at all.

You miss the entire underlying point.

In what rational, logical way, do I "owe" anyone a certain amount of money for possessing an object? I have caused no monetary harm to anyone. If possessing the object is a direct threat to someone(and it isn't), then why is the person not jailed so that they can not harm the person they were attempting to?

You speak of a system of justice that essentially ends up punishing people based upon their economic status. No level of government has the legitimate power to say "Give me money for doing something we said you couldn't, or go to jail".

In a correct system where people are punished for violation of indivual rights, economic status matters not. People who are for, and pass such laws that fine people for actions which do not violate rights know damn well that the law will result in the jailing of anyone who can't pay it. Hell, drug laws were originally targeted at minorities, so I know this is the mentality of those in power and those who seek power.

[bigfootbob]

"You're right, if you are living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford the penalty, as the law stands now, it is best not to do the crime at all."

"And that's the name of that tune"..."Keep your eye on the Sparrow."