People make choices all the time that others think is bad for them. The problem is that in trying to enforce choices that do not clearly hurt another person, you open the door to the State running your own life when you are in the minority.
A lot of people think that *you* should not be able to criticize homosexuality, for example, or own a big car, or smoke in your own house, or home school your children, because they believe that you are indirectly hurting yourself and other people.
This may come as a shock to you, but drugs are easily obtainable in the US. It isn’t working. What it is doing, is pissing off a whole lot of people by us being involved in their business (Peruvians were chewing on coke leaves for hundreds of years before we came along and told them to kill their plants). Friends in Holland have pot available in coffee shops, and look down upon it like you would the corner booze shop. It provides terrorists and gangs with lucrative sources of income, and costs you and me billions of dollars.
I don’t need the government to make sure I’m staying away from vices. Also, pornography is legal.
How about securing the borders and beefing up the Coast Guard? Cocaine isn't grown here in the U.S. Just seal the borders and the drug war will disappear on its own. We all know that ain't going to happen because Big Gov't, Big Law Enforcement, and Big Rehab will go broke.
“You’re right. I think we ought to give in and allow every thing that destroys peoples’ souls; drugs, prostitution, pornography, whatever vice”
The sarcasm dripping from your reply was void of wine/beer and spirits. Don’t forget those soul crushing evil vices.
I think a more pertinent question is whether or not criminalizing these vices reduces their impact on the aforementioned souls.
Having given it much thought and study, I'm quite sure you can't prove it has. I am sensitive to the notion that "legalizing" an activity gives it the imprimatur of our society. Yet I can't help wonder if the reverse is true.
I look forward to your thoughts.