Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Law Enforcement Resources Should Be Used to Protect against Real Crimes
Townhall.com ^ | October 13, 2013 | Daniel J. Mitchell

Posted on 10/13/2013 6:45:57 AM PDT by Kaslin

I’m a very straight-laced guy. Some would even say boring. I’ve never done drugs, for instance.

But not because they’re illegal. I’ve never done drugs for the reason that I’ve never smoked cigarettes. Just doesn’t seem like a smart thing to do. And I encourage friends and family to have the same approach.

"Why Are So Many Violent Criminals Walking Free?" | LearnLiberty

But this isn’t about cost-benefit analysis. Watch this powerful video from Reason TV about how one family has been victimized by drug prohibition.

Riverside Cop Tricks Autistic Teen into Buying Pot

Now ask yourself what purpose it served to have local cops basically entrap that unfortunate kid? If you come up with an answer, you have a very creative imagination.

Also keep in mind that the War on Drugs is the reason why politicians imposed costly and ineffective anti-money laundering laws. As well as disgusting and reprehensible asset forfeiture laws.

One misguided government policy leading to two other bad policies. That’s Mitchell’s Law on steroids!

P.S. Drugs do impose costs, but they’re mostly incurred by moronic users. Though there sometimes are collateral victims, such as kids whose parents allow their lives to get messed up. That’s why it would be nice if drugs somehow didn’t exist. Heck, the same things could be said about booze. Or tobacco. But they do exist. The libertarian position isn’t that these things are good. Instead, our position is that prohibition does more harm than good.

P.P.S. Just in case you think I’m an outlier, I invite you to read the thoughts of John McCain, John Stossel, Mona Charen, Gary Johnson, Pat Robertson, Cory Booker, and Richard Branson.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: drugwar; illegalimmigration; libertarians; medicalmarijuana; mexico; policestate; prohibition; warondrugs
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 10/13/2013 6:45:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
P.S. Drugs do impose costs, but they’re mostly incurred by moronic users.

Absolutely untrue. A big percentage of the people who are generationally poor have substance abuse problems. We have the welfare state -- in part -- because irresponsible people would be dying in the street if taxpayers were not forced to pay for their lifestyle.

2 posted on 10/13/2013 6:49:11 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (21st century. I'm not a fan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
As I always say:

Step 1: Stop government charity. All of it. EBT, Housing, Healthcare -- government should be paying people who work for the government, but should never provide charity.
Step 2: Legalize drugs and tell people: If you and your kids start dying in alleys, that's your own damn fault.

I would support those 2 steps, in that order.

3 posted on 10/13/2013 6:51:42 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (21st century. I'm not a fan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

Many of these folks are not able to function well enough to do any job I can think of. They would do more damage at work than they do by just being a big drag on the country.


4 posted on 10/13/2013 6:52:35 AM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

They are issued a box of chalk at police academy graduation and told they are ONLY capable of draw outlines of the dead at crime scenes and not preventing victimizations or same.


5 posted on 10/13/2013 6:57:29 AM PDT by AKinAK (Keep your powder dry pilgrim.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

I agree with you on both steps.


6 posted on 10/13/2013 6:59:03 AM PDT by EricT. (Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Big brother is watching you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

Do you have a solution?

I’m not convinced that I have the solution, but the best I can think of is to pick a big, empty state (Wyoming?) and announce that beans and rice and cheese, and some minimal shelter, is available there for those who will not work. I’d provide running water, but I’m not sure electricity is needed. The unproductive people can be sent there, if they so choose (I’m not proposing Nazi-era cattlecars full of people being sent to camps).

Food and shelter would be provided, but not very attractively. Other than that, you’re on your own. If you want to stay in Detroit, be my guest. If you cannot be productive, then your life will be short.

The alternative is to put a gun to MY head and force me to pay for their stuff. And that is the first and only time in this post that I have raised the topic of violence. As it see it, violence is the solution offered by the do-gooders. They want to tax me, and will use violence to make that happen.


7 posted on 10/13/2013 7:00:57 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (21st century. I'm not a fan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

The “War on Drugs” generates billions in federal grant dollars to state and local law enforcement agencies. The result is an overemphasis on drug enforcement and a resistance to liberalizing drug statutes. The “War on Drugs” has been a main factor in the militarization of local police departments over the last 30 years.

When this all began with the Nixon Administration a federal grant dollar was divided with 25 cents going to interdiction and enforcement and 75 cents going to treatment and education. Over the years that ratio has reversed with interdiction/enforcement getting the lion’s share.


8 posted on 10/13/2013 7:03:12 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

As a general rule, cops can’t act. they can only react.

They can not for example cordon off several blocks odf Chicago and gather up all the Trayvons and take their guns. That would be illegal search and seizure. They can only act by investigating the shooting. murders.

To beg for action is to beg for loss of freedom


9 posted on 10/13/2013 7:04:15 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Travon... Felony assault and battery hate crime)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
I'd prefer that Wyoming become a beacon to those who want to live free.

Especially now that NH is LOST!

10 posted on 10/13/2013 7:07:08 AM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: bert
I agree. I have long supported the right of citizens to handle street-level crime. I think asking government to take on that role is foolish -- as you say, if we allow government to do that job thoroughly, then we open the door to freedom.

I'm much more comfortable with people walking around with guns -- strangers will tend to be polite. We just need a broad understanding of such things as Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground. Initiation of Force is a bad thing, once someone initiates, then they should become fair game for any citizen.

11 posted on 10/13/2013 7:08:46 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (21st century. I'm not a fan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
Stop government charity.

Oxymoron alert! Government handouts are NOT charity. The word "charity" implies something done out of love, not out of the drive for political power (which is what entitlement programs are really for).

12 posted on 10/13/2013 7:09:32 AM PDT by Disambiguator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2; ClearCase_guy
Many of these folks are not able to function well enough to do any job I can think of. They would do more damage at work than they do by just being a big drag on the country.

There are uncountable billions of tons of big rocks out west that could be busted up into gravel to be used in road building.

Set up tent cities for them and and hand them a sledgehammer.


13 posted on 10/13/2013 7:12:54 AM PDT by Iron Munro (When a killer screams 'Allahu Akbar' you don't need to be mystified about a motive.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

I never did understand how FreeState made that choice of NH over WY. They claimed the numbers worked but never made allowances for culture, IMO.


14 posted on 10/13/2013 7:14:20 AM PDT by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Good stuff.

The power needs to go back to the people instead of the government.


15 posted on 10/13/2013 7:23:20 AM PDT by boycott
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bert
"As a general rule, cops can’t act. they can only react."

Back in the day of the beat cop, when the officer walked the streets, talked to merchants, and knew when there was something out of place, that was positive, proactive law enforcement.

Now they huddle in their Bearcats until 3:00 a.m. when they conduct no knock raids on people who bought one too many sunlamps :/

16 posted on 10/13/2013 7:29:03 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: boycott
BTTT

It does indeed, and the quicker the better

17 posted on 10/13/2013 7:31:34 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Brad from Tennessee

“The “War on Drugs” generates billions in federal grant dollars to state and local law enforcement agencies. The result is an overemphasis on drug enforcement and a resistance to liberalizing drug statutes. The “War on Drugs” has been a main factor in the militarization of local police departments over the last 30 years.”

The two biggest opponents to drug legalization are, in order:

-The cartels
-Governmental authorities

Why? Too. Damn. Much. Money. To. Be. Made. They are both in this for the same reason. Money. Legalize them and the money starts flowing toward legit biz organizations rather than directly toward the illegal crime syndicates and the various governmental agencies. Can’t have that, no, too much is already invested in keeping the status quo and narrative.


18 posted on 10/13/2013 7:33:13 AM PDT by FAA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
The only big, empty space is between your ears. Real, hard working and many prosperous people live in thos big, empty spaces and don't need extra slugs to care for.
19 posted on 10/13/2013 7:39:16 AM PDT by Lion Den Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Lion Den Dan

Finally, siding for the beautiful state of Wyoming. Those derelicts need to be handled by the cities that create them. No trash dumping in another state!!


20 posted on 10/13/2013 7:53:25 AM PDT by SgtHooper (The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson