In the War on Drugs, everyone's a loser

Denver Post ^ | July 06, 2003 | Michael Holzmeister

[toothless]

I have a love/hate relationship with the War on Drugs.

It provides such a wealth of subject matter to write about that I shudder to think what might happen if it were suddenly declared over. I might be forced into writing about positive subjects instead.

The War on Drugs has had a profound effect on me. I used to be a proud Republican, but the more I listened to law-and-order Republicans chatter about the dire need for ever more enforcement of the controlled-substance laws, the more Libertarian I became.

I'm still a registered Republican over at the courthouse, but in the voting booth, the Republicans have lost me.

I never pass up an opportunity to write about the War on Drugs. Every time the local drug warriors do anything, I perk right up because invariably one of the warriors is going to say something that makes no sense.

At the city council meeting a couple of weeks ago, our local regiment of drug warriors got up to report on their operations for the last three years. The chief of police - who I believe is a good cop and citizen - told the council that waging war on drugs is difficult. The warriors have rules to follow, the chief explained, and those rules cause problems.

Now I know that the chief believes in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but it scares me when a drug warrior wearing a badge and a gun stands up at a public meeting and says that the document that makes us Americans causes him problems.

You have to admit, though, the chief is exactly right. It would be so much easier if the soldiers fighting the War on Drugs could break down every door on every house in town and conduct searches. Imagine the drugs they would find.

If drugs are as big a scourge as the warriors would have us believe, they are going to need a convoy of trucks to haul all the illegal substances away. Oh, and for the people without any drugs but who were searched anyway, just try to remember that the Bill of Rights causes too many problems to be of much value when it comes to waging the War on Drugs.

The War on Drugs is confusing for the soldiers fighting it. The local warriors made a bust here a couple of years ago, and they wanted to keep it secret. I don't like secrets, especially when someone has been thrown in jail. I wanted to know who was arrested and why the person was arrested. The old undersheriff was reluctant to share that information with the newspaper.

He explained that if word were to get out in the paper that a bust had been made, then the other drug dealers would lay low and stop selling drugs. If they're not selling drugs, it's just that much harder to catch them.

You can see how confusing the War on Drugs is. The object of the war is to stop the flow of drugs, but the drug warrior told me that the soldiers can conduct the war much better if the enemy continues selling drugs.

Do the warriors actually want to win the war?

If they don't want to win the war, it's time to cease operations, reinstate our rights and try something different. I'm doing my part; I vote Libertarian. Libertarians believe drugs should be legal.

If drugs were legal, our army of drug warriors could stand down and save us huge amounts of money. The soldiers could return to police work, serving and protecting us instead of suspecting us. Instead of gangsters making a killing, legitimate business people could be making a living.

If you're afraid that legalizing drugs would make them more available than they are now, think again. Drugs are easy to find - ask any drug warrior - yet the vast majority of people choose not to buy them. There are better ways to spend time and money.

The War on Drugs is a resounding failure. Drugs still flow freely. The War on Drugs has had some success, however. It has successfully battled the Constitution and helped to quash our freedom.

[Monty22]

What strawman? You claimed that the liquor store is safer cause alcohol is legal, therefore the situation is ok.

I dunno about that. Addicted people will go broke from heroin or cocaine no matter the price and armed robberies of the sources would happen.

Where the drugs are, so is the crime.

[robertpaulsen]

"I vote Libertarian. Libertarians believe drugs should be legal."

Truth be told (and this author is less than truthful -- surprise), Libertarians believe that all drugs, including prescription drugs, should be legal and available to all people of all ages and that they "call for the repeal of all laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for the use of drugs".

If the truth be told.

[Ken H]

In the War on Drugs, everyone's a loser

Not everyone. There are many who make a good living from it.

Drug dealers.
Drug rehab workers, including clinics that receive funding for court ordered treatment.
Defense and prosecution lawyers.
Banks and financial institutions that deal with the hundreds of billions of black market dollars.
Corrupt officials at all levels of government.
UN bureaucrats.
Recipients of asset forfeitures.
Federal bureaucracies.
Drug testing companies.
Advertising agencies.

How successful has this war been?

Currently, illegal drugs are plentiful and affordable for just about anyone who wants them.

[toothless]

The strawman is that anyone has ever claimed that legalizing drugs will eliminate crime totally.

Legalizing drugs won't eliminate armed robbery.
Legalizing drugs won't make people better parents.
etc.

It will eliminate 700,000 arrests per year for marijuana posession.

[robertpaulsen]

"They seem to think that LAW is the only thing that makes people be moral."

How many times have you heard or read people defending their actions by saying, "Hey, it not as though I did something illegal"?

More often than not, it seems as though people base their morality on legal grounds -- if it's not illegal, then they can do it.

And don't you dare judge or criticize, because by God, what they did is not illegal and how dare you impose your morals on them!

The consequences of public shunning or stigma coupled with self-esteem and the desire to be well thought of, used to be enough to keep the spouse from roaming, a person from swearing in public, the young woman from getting pregnant, the pornography hidden, etc. No more. There are a growing number of people who are selfish, self-centered individualists who are interested only in their personal sphere and what feels good to them. They want drugs, porn, prostitution, gambling, and the homosexual lifestyle legalized and accepted by those around them. Whether this degrades or destroys society, they couldn't care less.

You act surprised that laws are taking the place of what was once handled by society itself. I'm not.

[coloradan]

Anyone that supports legalizing crack has a cracked head!

Now there's a logical argument! Crack ... cracked. Get it?

[coloradan]

But the libertarians get so much more joy out of bashing republicans.

Who is in charge of the Senate, House, Presidency, and Supreme court right now, counting the latter as by appointment?

[DAnconia55]

Truth be told (and this author is less than truthful -- surprise), Libertarians believe that all drugs, including prescription drugs, should be legal and available to all people of all ages and that they "call for the repeal of all laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for the use of drugs".

Quite correct.

Even THOUGH Prescription drugs are FAR MORE DEADLY Than illegal drugs, most libertarians believe this.

Doctors and pharmacists should be advisers.
The federal government should not be in the way of patients getting whatever treatment they and their advisers think is most likely to help them.

But hey, jackboots don't like people making choices. Do they?

[DAnconia55]

How many times have you heard or read people defending their actions by saying, "Hey, it not as though I did something illegal"?

More often than not, it seems as though people base their morality on legal grounds -- if it's not illegal, then they can do it.

Well, thanks for proving that you and they are government worshippers.

[DAnconia55]

Whether this degrades or destroys society, they couldn't care less.

BTW, see a doctor about increased medication. Society doesn't exist except as an abstract concept. So it's really difficult to destroy or degrade. Being a concept, that is... and not an actual thing.

[Roscoe]

The federal government should not be in the way of patients getting whatever treatment they and their advisers

The old "federal government" fan dance. The libertines hate our government at every level.

Who needs pharmacists and doctors when we can have drug pushers and quacks, LP style?

[Hinoki Cypress]

"Do the warriors actually want to win the war?"

If they ever do'win', they're out of work; millions of them. And billions of American Taxpayer dollars will go looking for a new 'cause celeb de jour'.

[Blowtorch]

</sarcasm for those that are high and don't get it>
Wait a minute...are you being sarcastic?
Oh, I get it.

[exodus]

"...Amazing how all these Little "G" {Govt}Libertarins support a huge buracracy to provide free drugs to those who choose drugs as recreation. Funny, maybe the Govt can also subsidise my recreation .."
*********************

You have no idea what a libertarian is, whether big or small "L."

Libertarians wouldn't even have a reason to consider themselves libertarian if the Republican Party didn't lie about being the party of small government.

No libertarian wants government-supported anything, not free drugs, not free beer, not even free food.

Libertarians don't like having their tax dollars being stolen to support other people. Forced charity is not a constitutionally mandated governmental power.

[exodus]

This crap can apply to any law that limits people. The 'war on murder' removes my right to kill people that get in my way. It's a real hassle. The 'war on slavery'.. phew.. I can't have slaves, what a BITCH. The 'war on drunk driving'. Damn, I won't hit anyone, I promise. Just stop hassling me. The 'war on terrorism', don't get me started. Laws just make it so hard to do whatever you want. I mean, who do these people think they are? The 'war on fraud', the 'war on crime' in general really offends me, as I can't rob banks, rape, and cause general mayhem.
*********************

"This crap" is not about legitimate law. The laws against drug use are unconstitutional.

Just as Prohibition required a Constitutional Amendment to give our government the authority to infringe upon our alcohol use, and Amendment would be required to conduct a drug prohibition.

Even then, a case could be made that what we choose to ingest is a basic right, not something that can be decided for us by government.

[exodus]

To: William Tell
Yeah yeah, but the problem is that YOUR side says laws don't stop anything. If the drug rates aren't going to change, then this shouldn't be an issue. You can't have it both ways.. Saying how wonderful the world will be with easy to get heroin or whatever and then denying that any damage will occur because the laws will save us. What a joke.
*********************

I don't use drugs of any kind, and I think our illegal Drug War is hurting our free society.

I don't think that our world will be better when drugs are "easy to get," I think that our world will be better when we aren't persecuted by our government for the drug use of other people.

As I said, I don't use drugs myself, but still I must pay higher-than-necessary taxes to enforce what I know to be illegal laws against drug use, and further, I must watch helplessly as my government violates the Bll of Rights in order to conduct that "war," thereby violating everyone's rights, not just the rights of drug users.

[exodus]

To: BOOTSTICK
The hypocrisy doesn't end there. Many of them support BIG TAXES on the drugs. Where the hell else do you hear them talking about BIG TAXES on products or services?
*********************

Where do you two get the idea idea that libertarians are liberals?

Are you confused by the fact that both words start with an "L?"

[exodus]

Places still get robbed.. Crime won't stop from drug legalization. Lets watch Europe and Canada...
*********************

Something for you to think about -
Yes, we will still have crime if the illegal drug laws are repealed, but the lawbreaking won't be conducted by our government.

Today, the serious violations are coming from our own government. Our free society can never be threatened by murdering criminals, but a government that ignores the Rule of Law is a direct threat to our way of life.

[robertpaulsen]

"But hey, jackboots don't like people making choices. Do they?"

Actually, they don't like people scamming the system. Is this your idea of an "advisor"?

MOLALLA, Ore. - State medical regulators next week will consider an order that would revoke a Molalla physician’s license for 90 days for signing more than 1,700 of Oregon's 3,500 prescriptions for cannabis.

The order, which could be ratified Thursday or Friday by the Board of Medical Examiners, would also fine Dr. Phillip Leveque $5,000 and require him to follow accepted standards of care when signing for medical marijuana patients.

Leveque would also receive 10 years’ probation, during which his medical license could be revoked for violating the terms of the deal. The order would also require Leveque to report for an interview with the board at each of its quarterly meetings.

[exodus]

MOLALLA, Ore. - State medical regulators next week will consider an order that would revoke a Molalla physician’s license for 90 days for signing more than 1,700 of Oregon's 3,500 prescriptions for cannabis. The order, which could be ratified Thursday or Friday by the Board of Medical Examiners, would also fine Dr. Phillip Leveque $5,000 and require him to follow accepted standards of care when signing for medical marijuana patients. Leveque would also receive 10 years’ probation, during which his medical license could be revoked for violating the terms of the deal. The order would also require Leveque to report for an interview with the board at each of its quarterly meetings.
*********************

So a doctor prescribing a legal drug can be penalized if he believes that legal drug is useful in a variety of cases? Do you know how easy it is to get speed from a doctor? It's a diet pill. Any fat person can get all the speed they want, if they try just a little.

Speed has serious side effects, and marijiana has no serious side effects. You can die from taking speed.

Tell me, did the members of the Board of Medical Examiners fight against the legalization of "medical" marijiana? I bet they did.