Reject Notion That We're Winning War on Drugs

The Southwest News-Herald ^ | February 15, 2006 | By JACOB G. HORNBERGER

[presidio9]

Stupid Irish. That shanty race screwed up Prohibition for the rest of us.

[L98Fiero]

"If you have a daughter, you should protect her from methamphetamine."

I don't have a daughter but my best friend's wife got all caught up in that. Once pretty and well-liked, now she is a nasty skank who lost custody of her daughter. She came from a fairly well-to-do family, too. Sad.

Yessir. If I had a daughter, I would definitely protect her from that.

[JCEccles]

This would most likely increase demand, which would increase the size of the black market, and all the current problems associated with it

Holland legalized marijuana and immediately saw a dramatic increase in hard-drug trafficking and hard drug related crimes as Holland became the base of operations for the European hard drug cartels. Let a little weed flourish unhindered and you invite kudzu-style drugs to take root.

The drug legalizers have no clue what unintended bad consequences would result from their stupidity, nor do they care.

[Freedom_no_exceptions]

I consider myself more libertarian than a Republican, and I think those making a profit should be severely punished, death penalty IMO. Those using, should be punished by a caning like in Singapore.

What part of libertarian philosophy allows individuals to commit assault and battery on other individuals who did them no harm, and then murdering other individuals for engaging in voluntary economic transactions? Is this some breakaway sect of libertarianism?

[Doe Eyes]

OK - however - it should be a crime to operate any vehicle under the influence, and absolutely no tax dollars should go towards keeping them alive.

I agree.

However, there are a lot of "legal" medications that inhibit the capacity to drive a motor vehicle. The same should apply to them.

[PsyOp]

see post #77

[JCEccles]

I totally agree that it's the job of parents, not nanny-state government, to protect their children

What does this mean? In exchange for legalizing drugs would you give parents immunity from prosecution if they hunt down and shoot drug dealers who sell drugs to their kids?

[augggh]

It means what it says. Protecting your children is your job, not the job of the government.

I'll look out for me, I don't need your (or the government's) help. Unfortunately, decades of the war on drugs have trained the populace to believe that personal responsibility isn't an option.

[PurVirgo]

She came from a fairly well-to-do family, too. Sad.

Interesting you felt the need to throw that tidbit of information in there.

The King of Kings was born in a lowly manger, the story goes.

[Blackirish]

Heroin is legal in Holland...you go to a purposely nasty clinic to get an injection from some ugly nurse. Since they started doing this it has taken away the "glamor" of heroin and there per capita heroin use is lower then the USA's.

[JCEccles]

How far do you think a parent should allowed to go to protect his children from drug dealers?

Again, would you give a parent license to kill a drug dealer who sold drugs to his child? Or would you have the state punish a parent who did so?

[jeremiah]

I am not a member of the Libertarian party, and borrow from different philosophies. Tell me how in this real world, the decriminalization of drugs is going to happen? They won't, maybe pot moved to a different class, but other than that, it will NEVER be legal to use or sell drugs in this country. With that said, what will lessen the costs in lives and monies, and protect society? If someone wants to make their own crank, or grow coca, pot or opium, and even use it, make it a non crime. Once someone begins to make a profit, governments proper response is to control that action.

[augggh]

How far do you think a parent should allowed to go to protect his children from drug dealers?

As far as they need to. The laws regarding this are fairly clear.

Again, would you give a parent license to kill a drug dealer who sold drugs to his child? Or would you have the state punish a parent who did so?

I wouldn't generalize situations like this, I'd look at the facts. If someone was protecting their child from a physical threat, I'd imagine a jury would take that into consideration and do the right thing.

All of your questions would be irrelevant if all drugs were treated the way alcohol is; licensed dealers have real motivation not to sell to underaged kids, whereas the current status quo gives no encouragement for dealers to check IDs.

[thinkthenpost]

How in the world can you cite someone with a citation and fine (slap on the wrist) for use of an illegal substance and then throw the book at the person supplying that demand? WTF?

[JCEccles]

Hard drug trafficking and hard drug related crimes are up dramatically in Holland. Innocent people are suffering from this, an unintended consequence of the Dutch laissez-faire attitude toward drugs. Why do you not care? Or you so focused on drug use that you can't see past your own narrow self-interest?

[CWOJackson]

Since pretty much legalizing drugs, the property crime rate in Vancouver, BC has jumped to number two in North America; second only to Miami.

[thinkthenpost]

If they are intoxicated, (high or drunk) they are not LEGAL.

[JCEccles]

A jury? Then you would have the state prosecute a parent who hunted down a drug dealer who sold or provided drugs to the parent's child.

You're all for statism. You just want the state to use its power to protect drug dealers.

What a hypocritical joke you are.

[augggh]

You're all for statism.

BS. You've made an assertion with no evidence to back it up.

I oppose the war on drugs because it has used a disproportionate amount of tax dollars, and has accomplished next to nothing in the decades of its escalation.

That is my position. Care to debate it, or would you rather sling some more personal insults? The choice is yours.