>>I would suggest that we separate drug use from drug trafficking. Decriminalize the use and offer the treatment suggested in the article but become draconian with drug trafficking.
Thanks for exhibiting the sort of mind that might save the Republican Party from extinction. Knee jerk 19th century social Darwinist thinking is what caused us to lose academia, the news media, the entertainment media, the bureaucracy, youth subculture, urban centers, etc. We change or we die, it’s that freaking simple.
These people are still going to be charged with a lot of crimes related to the drug use. You cannot eleiminate all laws per illegal drugs because there is no legal leverage to get them to consider stopping. I would consider crime enhancements if a person is on drugs and commits crimes.
Drugs make people dangerous. They don’t think clearly and when they’re jonesing and need money they become desperate and dangerous. To ignore the drugs they are taking ignores why the crimes are committed and ignores the seriousness we need to take about illegal drugs and the people on them. There are no good social benefits to having people addicted to such drugs.
They need to be like alcohol laws. But they also need to be enforced because if, like unenforced alcohol laws, they don’t work as intended if they’re always plea bargained out, or dismissed for one reason or another.
You seem to have a deficit in understanding about the social factors at work which resulted in all these things you mention. These events are systemic, and a result of conditions which are innate.
I don't want to get into a long explanation, but I will point out that if you look at cities that are extremely Liberal, the one common factor is great wealth and prosperity.
San Fransisco is extremely Liberal because it is extremely rich. Same with New York, Boston, Chicago, etc.
Wealth drives Liberalism. Liberalism is mostly a consequence of it, especially in successive generations who did not have to work hard to earn the wealth.
You can change your thinking all you want, but you will still not be able to stave off the tide, and that's what it is; A societal tide.