It's called individual rights. Any questions?
Posted on 07/05/2005 9:30:27 AM PDT by Sensei Ern
For many years, I have been a strong opponent of legalizing drugs. As you read this, remember that I am still against drug legalization, but I have more sympathy for the opposing argument.
The reason I have been opposed to drug legalization is to protect children. I grew up in a home that was one step up from a crack house..at least we had heat and food. I know first hand what can happen when a child lives in those conditions.
As a counter, I have always felt that use of tobacco and alcohol should be legal for those of a responsible age.
The reason I am considering a change is because of the pain I went through this last month. Four weeks ago, I had a root canal done on a tooth...it was Friday. Once the Novocain wore off, I was in serious pain because the doctor was inexperienced and left a partial root. I experienced pain worse than listening to Rosanne Barr sing the National Anthem. He forgot to write a prescription.
I called the emergency number only to be told I could see the doctor on Monday. TWO WHOLE DAYS IN EXTREME PAIN! I had some 800mg Ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. That only took away enough pain to convince myself to not commit suicide to stop the pain.
On Monday, I was given a prescription of Tylenol 3 with Codeine and an antibiotic. That took away the pain. Until it ran out. Again, extreme pain. Another dentist did another root canal...and again did not get the whole root. I made sure he gave me a prescription for the pain, before I left the office.
Finally, when that ran out, and another dentist completed the root canal, the pain has subsided.
To be in the kind of debilitating pain I was in, cannot be described. Bill Cosby once talked about taking your bottom lip and pulling it over your head...that comes close.
I have always been an advocate of personal responsibility. That conflicted with knowing that some of the drugs offered today are so dangerous that they needed to be regulated. Then, I thought back about how things were a hundred years ago. The doctor prescribed a treatment, and you either made it yourself, or went to the pharmacist, who mixed up the more potential drugs.
Back then, the only regulation was, could you afford the cost? Drugs were available, and the pharmacist would determine whether you were abusing. If you OD'd on a drug from abuse, you died and life went on for others. But, you could get drugs if they were needed, and you did not have to wait until Monday. You didn't need to wait for approval from anyone to use a drug.
That is enough about that for the moment.
If drugs were to be legalized, they should be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes...have a legal purchasing age. Also, if you do harm to another while under the influence of anything, you should be held personally responsible...to the fullest extent, especially capital punishment for causing a death. If you are taking drugs to get high, strap yourself into a chair and sleep it off.
If drugs were immediately legalized, we could expect some immediate effects. For one, the drug addicts would run out and by everything, and we would have a rash of overdosing for about a month. The rest of us could then go on with our lives, only mourning the loss of a relative, instead of daily living with the horror of a drug addict in our lives.
Currently, I believe law enforcement should be stronger. But, I could be moved to undecided if I heard good arguments for the opposite.
--Pray for our troops --Pray they have wisdom to do the right thing --Pray they remain courageous --Pray they know we love and support them --Pray they get the equipment they need to do the job --Pray for their safe return home to a hero’s welcome
Hmmm. I know that people who commit, crimes create victims. Tell me how a law against the selling of psychoactive, highly addictive drugs creates victims?
Our only drug laws should prohibit sales to minors. Beyond that, if you're stupid enough to want to abuse a particular chemical, then you ought to be allowed to screw your life up as much as you want. The State ought not take over the role of your mother.
Would you care to amplify upon your post?
You said that the only laws regarding drugs should be sale to minors. I simply think we should also keep our current impaired driving laws, as well.
Laws on impaired driving aren't "drug laws". They do not prohibit the use of any intoxicating substance; only the operation of motor vehicles while intoxicated.
Do you mean "highly addictive" drugs like marijuana, or highly addictive drugs like alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine?
And there's an entire thread about how these laws create victims. Thanks to drug prohibition, we have violent turf wars where innocent bystanders get gunned down in the streets. Thanks to drug prohibition, every single one of us has seen his Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure eroded to the point of nothingness. Thanks to drug prohibition, people die because violent criminals have to be released early to make room in the prisons for drug offenders. Is that enough victimization for you, or shall I go on?
Ok. You say tomato, I say tomato.
Okay, I finally see what you have been trying to argue.
Correct if wrong: You contend that no government can ban anything outright, because that is a violation of the 14th A. guarantee to property. That is, it is pre-emptive to your possession. Correct?
You're getting close. --- The power to prohibit is not delegated to any level of government in the USA. The 14th reiterated that fact to the rebel States in 1868. -- Although the 14th is still ignored today by States like CA & it's ban on 'assault weapons'.
But, after you possess that same item, the government may then, under a "reasonable regulation", such as a ban on the use, sale, transport or transfer of said dangerous item, arrest and prosecute you with all due process applied if you actually do anything with your property. Is that your contention, or am I still not following you?
Do you agree that CA has the Constitutional power to outright prohibit assault weapons, or booze, or drugs? -- I think 'laws' of that sort are unreasonable regulations, - thus unconstitutional, and unenforceable.
Why do you want States to have such powers?
Your point?
"Every offense on this guy's rap sheet was committed while he was high. But I guess you had to give it a shot."
So, what you are saying is that the doper could have been arrested multiple times, but the cops were too busy busting potheads to tend to serious crimes? Or am I somehow mistaken?
It's called individual rights. Any questions?
"Often, as a young child, I wished my brothers would OD because they were destroying my family. Any finances my mom saved were wasted in bail payments. Much of anything of value we had was "stolen" (my brothers claimed it was stolen, but I suspect they sold it for drug money)."
I didn't mean to minimize the problem, I've known plenty of dopers. The question is how to deal with the ones that are over the edge. I think you can control the problem just as well by enforcing the laws against robbery, child abuse, etc. as having weak drug laws that are ignored 80% of the time.
"Not True. During Prohibition teen deaths from alcohol overdose and bad hooch reached epidemic proportions."
OK. I'll bite. What constitutes "epidemic proportions"?
Considering about half of American teenagers admit to drinking alcohol, are you claiming more were drinking during prohibition? I don't buy that.
You also seem to be arguing that prohibition CAUSED their irresponsible behavior. That does not impress me as a very conservative position.
I can't seem to follow the logic of those advocating drug legalization. First they argue that drugs like marijuana are not addictive. Then they argue that people do these drugs because they can't help themselves.
These is very little difference between the two national parties, divided into two camps ~ national socialist and communist socialist. Each camp uses Christian/secular propaganda as they need.
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