[bc2]

Activities are illegal even though they are not criminal. Here are two really simple examples: owning and using pistols and "assault weapons", and owning and using narcotics.

Neither one is a criminal act, guns don't hurt anyone, and neither does drug use.

But once ACTUAL CRIMES are involved (theft, fraud, murder, etc) then that is when we need to punish people.

Owning guns is not a crime unless you use them to commit CRIMINAL ACTS.

Owning and using drugs is not a crime unless you have committed a crime to aquire the drugs.

[bc2]

"guns don't hurt anyone, and neither does drug use" is wrong, I meant to say drugs only hurt the user.

sorry about that!

[robertpaulsen]

"Owning and using drugs is not a crime unless you have committed a crime to aquire the drugs."

Uh, no. Owning drugs is indeed a crime.

Congress does not use, nor is it interested in, your definition of "criminal act".

Sorry.