Bankrupting A Society

American Probation and Parole Association magazine "Perspective" ^ | Fall 1992 | Carl J. Cieslikowski

[caisson71]

Oh heck, just empty all the California prisons. There are enough groups justifying any crime anyway. Let's just save time, let them all out.

[SkiBum]

In addition to these economic costs, are the gross violations of constitutional rights all in the name of the "War on Drugs".

[Kryptonite]

Sounds like something Carl the Greenskeeper would write.

[gcruse]

Oh heck, just empty all the California prisons.

Abortion seems to have had a better effect.  The
crime rate itself fell.

[A. Pole]

In addition to these economic costs, are the gross violations of constitutional rights all in the name of the "War on Drugs".

On the up side, I read that the conditions in prisons improved because the normal people became a majority and real criminals got marginalized.

[gcruse]

In addition to these economic costs, are the gross violations
of constitutional rights all in the name of the "War on Drugs".

Are lifestyle laws the SS troops of social conservatism?

[gcruse]

[lawdude]

This country can NOT legalize drugs until the people are ready to accept seeing bodies laying in the streets. Drug addiction leads to death. Slow, lingering, horrible death. We cannot support drug addicts who only know that they can hardly wait for their next fix. They do not, can not, and will not work to support their habits.

Now you can argue that not all fit the category and that would be true, but the numbers are such that mere subsidation would bankrupt the society. I have seen the results of casual drug addiction with the knowledge that it is illegal and the force of addiction is so strong that continued use is almost assured.

Easy access to drugs would create a new class of addicts. Those that said, "well, now that it is legal, I will try it and, of course, I can quit anytime I want."

WRONG

These fools would jump to the hard core in no time and we would have a new crop of junkies to support. And so it goes.

The results of easy access to drugs is overdoses. Overdoses result in bodies laying in the streets. Now, you may argue that we could set up government stands (for lack of a better term) for supply to ensure that no one would get OD'ed.

Sorry, but it wouldn't work. The user, with his ever increasing need for 'the high' would only go to other government stands for a, yet stronger, fix! And so it goes.

Are you ready to wake up to the vision of a junkie, lying dead on your lawn and your 6 year old staring at the site? That, my friends, is the result of easy access hits!

Easy access to drugs = Janis Joplin, Easy access to drugs = John Belushi, Easy access to drugs = Kurt Cobain. Easy access to drugs = Jim Morrison.

And so it goes!

[Moonman62]

* Be logical and refrain from hysteria which has been generated by politicians and hired advertising firms.

People who've been adversely affected by someone who uses illicit drugs know it isn't hysteria. That's why the overwhelming majority of people are in favor of keeping them illegal.

[Moonman62]

* Realize legislating morality has been a destructive societal policy and that drug use and abuse are medical problems.

Sustainable societies have always had laws that reflect the morality of their dominant culture. The idea that laws and morality should be mutually exclusive is a canard usually perpetrated by a destructive subculture.

[krogers58]

I believe we should put Darwin's law into effect, and legalize all drugs. Give 'em all they want......it would put a little chlorine into California's gene pool......

[gcruse]

I believe we should put Darwin's law into effect, and legalize
all drugs. Give 'em all they want......it would put a little chlorine into
California's gene pool......

It would sure put a crimp in organized crime.
 

[Tauzero]

"In the past  12 years we have constructed 18 new prisons with five additional prisons  planned for construction. In our misguided effort of constructing 18 new  prisons, we have taken money from libraries, schools, sports, prevention  and music programs. "

He says that like it's a bad thing.

[Tauzero]

I just think of it as evolution in action.

[general_re]

I'm not unsympathetic to this article, but this whole "you can't legislate morality" thing has never made sense to me. It's a total non-starter for anyone who even bothers to think about it for a minute - all laws are based on moral judgments and moral values. What are laws against murder but a reflection of the belief that murder is morally wrong?

[Tauzero]

"People who've been adversely affected by someone who uses illicit drugs know it isn't hysteria."

People are adversely affected by lots of things other people do.

[Tauzero]

bump to that