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Politics : Libertarian Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: budweeder who wrote (3888)	7/15/2000 1:41:24 AM
From: Gordon A. Langston	Respond to of 13056

Bud Here is the problem with the conversation thus far. You say legalize, we say de-criminalize. I don't think anyone wants to legalize crimes that harm victims. We debate the drug issue from the victimless point of view, in other words, the issues that involve the addicted. Addicts commit crimes to support habits. Dealers commit many crimes in their enterprise, subvert justice, even de-stabilize entire countries (call it collateral damage and the $ value is huge). De-criminalize and these crimes and other activities will lessen and eventually disappear. Crimes committed by addicts under the influence of drugs will still be prosecuted (like alcohol), but merely the addiction or possession (to a great extent) will not trigger prosecution and incarceration. I sincerely doubt you will ever show that any drug de-criminalized will cause the damage of the legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. I won't apologize for thinking the Drug War is a War on our Rights, because it most obviously is, and has damaged the society, its institutions, and morale. How honorable is a War that inflicts indiscriminate damage? How intelligent is a War on an inanimate object? The War on Drugs is a litmus test for the intelligence (and intentions) of politicians, if not the general populace.

To: budweeder who wrote (3888)	7/15/2000 10:56:05 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13056

Some of us aren't "fixated" on legalizing drugs. What I, for one, am fixated on is getting the government out of running my personal, private life. Although I have never used any illegal drug even once (and how many people who were in college in the 60s can say they never once even tried marijuana?), and never plan to, and wouldn't even if they were legal, I see the issue not as a drug issue but as a freedom issue. Surely freedom is worth being fixated about?