Conservatives, Guns, and Drugs

Future of Freedom Foundation ^ | September, 2001 | Sheldon Richman

[ThinkDifferent]

Of course, if drugs were not unconstitutionally prohibited, the profits would not go to thugs and terrorists.

[William Terrell]

You know, it's almost as if some group sat down to a brainstorm session a couple decades ago and said, "Ok, now we need to wean Americans away from their liberties, but we got to have a good excuse, then we need to get those guns before we can really advance our most prgressive programs. . ."

Am I being too cynical?

[lds23]

You can start by telling me why MTV and Hollywood aggrandizes drug use as glamorous. Because it enslaves and cripples our youth, our promise of tomorrow. It takes away the desire to build up something over years, replacing it with instant gratification. It replaces long-term values with short term ones, which fits into the media's attempt to sell happiness.

[morque2001]

Be American by getting free of Drugs! Stop the support of terrorists!

Be American by growing your own, and keeping the profits from the terrorists.

[E.Allen]

I am ultra conservative, am an LEO, own class III weapons, (machine guns, full, not semi auto) and agree with the points you've made.

An unbiased, dispassionate analysis of history would reveal that prohibition (alcohol) was a bonanza for organized crime. In fact, I believe there was evidence Al Capone even supported politicians that were trying to keep it in place when it was finally repealed. He was trying to protect his income source. Do some research, the parallels are amazing with the drug wars.

I have no desire to take recreational drugs, never even tried pot, thought it made my friends stupid. I couldn't care less if they were all legal. The only caveat I offer is that if you burn your brain out you don't get to collect gov't money for being disabled.

[philman_36]

Buy 'em books, send 'em to school and they still refuse to learn.
In other words you are wasting your time. While there are some at FR whose views may have been changed over the course of the last year or two the "foes adamant" still abound and will still shout down anyone trying to bring reasonable debate and critical thought into the main.
Good luck, but I do believe that the JBT and pro WOsD crowd have the money and the means to keep their little cliques in power, to the nation's detriment, despite the best intetions to show them the folly of their ways.
You can still flag me NC, and of that I'd be appreciative, but I'm not going to reply too many times. I'll not waste any more of MY time on changing minds already made up!

[philman_36]

intetions=intentions

[MrLeRoy]

Guns don't alter your minds like drugs do for all the addicts.

And drugs can't blow a hole in your body like a gun can. What's your point?

And will you EVER support your claim that there is any sound reason to ban other drugs but not alcohol?

[sendtoscott]

btt

[JRadcliffe]

"Because it enslaves and cripples our youth, our promise of tomorrow. It takes away the desire to build up something over years, replacing it with instant gratification. It replaces long-term values with short term ones, which fits into the media's attempt to sell happiness."

I agree with everything you said. I do not buy the idea though that it is OK to arrest people, murder people, steal their property or send them to jail simply because they ingested something that the government doesn't like. As long as these people are peaceful we have no other legitimate and constitutional response, other than to leave them alone.

The government does NOT own us. It has absolutely NO authority to use force in order to control how people treat their own bodies.

[JRadcliffe]

I wish we had more LEO's like you. I know the number is growing. ;-)

Like you, I also do not believe that people who choose to destroy themselves, should be entitled to anything. Those who choose to do drugs, should have to pay higher insurance premiums, just like cigarette smokers, in most insurance policies. Unfortunately, another bad consequence of this "war" is that insurance companies cannot take into account something that isn't even recognized as a valid activity. The end result is that ALL people pay the price for these types of foolish choices.

I fully support a person's right to self-ownership of their bodies as long as they respect my right to my wallet!