Big Drug War News (Congressman Dan Burton on the drug war)

The Agitator ^ | 17 December 2002 | Radley Balko

[Cyber Liberty]

Works for me.

[MrLeRoy]

No because, as illustrated by MILLIONS of users, alcohol can be enjoyed responsibly.

So can cocaine, as illustrated by the ~80% of users who are not addicted:

When is the last time you had a little crack with your meal?

Crack is a creation of the War On Some Drugs; if cocaine were legal, crack would be about as popular as Everclear.

[PaxMacian]

"Youth think that they are immortal. "

Fools don't know that we possess an immortal soul.

[tacticalogic]

Crack is a rule. Crystal Meth is a rule. Heroine is a rule. For alcohol, beer is a rule.

During prohibition bootleg whiskey was the rule.

[Texaggie79]

If they step out of line they lose their license

MMM... Like Phillip & Morris? Trust me, when your profit margins are in the billions, you have quite a bit of sway with the government.

[tacticalogic]

I tend to have a little more faith in people than that.

[bvw]

Hooray! Just to get past the "what if" to the "make it so!"

Stamped and taxed, sold hrough registered outlets to adults above a set age, like tabakky and alky.

[steve50]

The English gin story is interesting. The upperclass drank mainly whiskey at the time, they did nothing to curtail it's use.

[MrLeRoy]

If you choose to live in a state that outlaws hard drugs, then you CHOOSE to pay those costs by choosing to live there.

If states were allowed to set their own policies you might have a point.

[Texaggie79]

You simply cannot compare alcohol with hard drugs. It is a different animal. After a certain point with alcohol, the majority of people get sick by the consumption of more. This is not the case with hard drugs. The more you consume, the "happier"/"more energized"/"calmer" you are.

Lying on the bathroom floor next to the toilet is not near as desirable as lying back in extreme pleasure.

[Texaggie79]

I agree. As I said, I oppose the FEDERAL WOD.

[MrLeRoy]

Each one would tell you that after leaving their support group meetings, they would be much more challenged to stay clean if they saw their drug of choice sitting in front of their face at a Wal-Mart, dirt cheap, and ready to use, than knowing they would have to pay out the butt for a crap drug at their dealers place.

Ditto for alcoholics. Should we ban alcohol?

[Ace's Dad]

When is the last time you had a little crack with your meal?

Good point, but millions "toke up at lunchtime" if that's the right expression. Just a thought, not having a solution myself. I've never had any addictions, but that's 'cuz of the mercy of Jesus Christ, not my efforts alone. Regards, Avery

[MrLeRoy]

Everclear is an exception to the rule. Crack is a rule.

Provide evidence for your claim.

[Texaggie79]

Perhaps my faith comes into play here. I see the majority of Americans as searching to fill their empty soul. We currently do it with material goods. Our credit debts are laughable because of this. We live beyond our means.

As a real estate appraiser, about 90% of the homes I look at are homes that are realistically beyond the financial capability of the homeowner. I've seen people making 60k a year living in 200k homes. People making 30k driving suburbans.

People look to material things for happiness. Now, a LARGE part of America is addicted to prescription drugs. The docs they go to know this, and just supply them with enough to get by, in return for (what else) money. You take all these people that live productive lives as of now, and insert into the equation legalized cocain, heroine, ect..... Well, you will have one screwed society. We

[Texaggie79]

No, because the VAST majority of users of alcohol do not need support groups. They are not addicted. They use responsibly. You could say the same for pot users. Perhaps even exstacy. NOT cocain, heroine, ect.

[Texaggie79]

I never said pot should be illegal.

[MrLeRoy]

It is a different animal. After a certain point with alcohol, the majority of people get sick by the consumption of more.

In spite of that, many people go right back to the bottle the next day---and that's what makes addiction. You have failed to show that "It is a different animal" in any relevant way.

[tacticalogic]

You simply cannot compare alcohol with hard drugs. It is a different animal. After a certain point with alcohol, the majority of people get sick by the consumption of more. This is not the case with hard drugs. The more you consume, the "happier"/"more energized"/"calmer" you are.

That's a pretty broad generalization. Do you have any kind of source to back it up?

[MrLeRoy]

NOT cocain, heroine, ect.

Provide evidence for your claim; the evidence I have provided indicates otherwise.