Alcohol again

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>>>>ADNAN

>>>>I am not arguing that alcohol should be banned, but doesn't the 

>government

>>>also

>>>>prohibit pot and other drugs? Is that "oppressive and intrusive 

>extension of

>>>>government authority into the individual's private affairs"?

>>

>>>Ed

>>>Yes, in my opinion.  It's also just as much a failure as the 

>prohibition of

>>>alcohol.

>>

>>ADNAN

>>So you think drugs like cocaine and heroine should be freely 

>available to

>>anyone who wants them? We should unban all drugs and allow buisnesses 

>to

>>advertise and sell  these like tobacco & alcohol? 

>>

>>

>Ed

>

>These drugs are already available to anyone who wants them.  Everyone 

>who

>wants to use them already does, and everyone who wants to get them can 

>do so.  

>


DTS
That's very true, and I also think legalization should be considered on a
drug by drug basis.  In my own ideal scenario, most would be legal. 
Heroin, if I understand correctly, is highly addictive, of course, but is
in itself not very harmful physically.  The unsanitary conditions and
unprofessional diluting ("cutting") procedures that accompany the illegal
drug trade are considerably more hazardous than are some of the drugs
themselves.  And, highly dangerous drugs develop a bad reputation rapidly
enough within the drug culture to limit their use.  The late '60s slogan
"speed kills" originated within the drug culture.

Constitutionally, I draw a distinction between criminalizing drug sales
and drug possession.  I am uneasy with the vast majority of "possession
crimes"; possession of a given item should be criminalized only when the
most compelling public safety concern is served, such as possession of
weapons-grade nuclear materials or other very high-risk contraband. 
Sales, on the other hand, are less subject to privacy concerns than
personal possession and any regulation ought to be done on the supply
side, so to speak.

Drug laws and gun laws also provide a lot of interesting parallels.  I'm
sure this list is represented by members of almost every gun-control
persuasion from the NRA to Handgun Control Inc.  Personally, I like my
Second Amendment along with all of the other ones.  One can argue against
both drug legalization and gun ownership by citing their irresponsible or
criminal uses; one can argue for both drug legalization and gun rights by
appealing to personal responsibility and individual rights.  Strangely,
many of the gun lobby's most rabid advocates for unrestricted firearms
possession are some of the most vociferous opponents of drug
legalization.  They just don't see the parallels.













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