Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (8297)	1/4/2006 11:25:55 AM
From: KLP	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541457

"e"....UNTIL the general public is more educated as to the "why's" of alcohol/drug use and the effects of using either/both, you will have people very much like we were all those years ago....Yes, as I said, we thought they were "scummy" people. We no longer do. We've met users who are professional people with high standing in the community (Doctors, nurses, teachers,and yes, even some public officials, etc) and we've met people on the other end of the spectrum. What we must do is twofold, I think. Educate people as to the personal effects of using either/both types of drugs, AND educate them as to the potential social consequences of using either. When I refer to murderers, child molesters, rapists, robbers, etc, those are the potential consequences of using drugs/alcohol. Not everyone who uses either is so far out of control that they cause society and themselves great harm. Frankly, as far as I am concerned, I don't really care what people do with their lives. I don't want to pay for them to abuse drugs/alcohol. If there was a "big brother sign up sheet" for using either, I would be OK with that. At least, it would be legal, and a short duration. Maybe so many people wouldn't get killed that way. BTW, IMO, the reason alcohol is in your terminology, "the more logical substance to conect to violence", it is because alcohol has been around longer, (centuries), and because it is a legal substance, the stigma seems to be not as great when used. Until it is abused, or until it becomes an addiction, and violent acts are committed in its name.

To: epicure who wrote (8297)	1/4/2006 11:34:17 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 541457

You'll notice that KLP connected drug users to rapists and violence- and I think that view is more common than you might think Do you really think you can make a dent in that? I doubt that you can. Take a run at KLP and then tell me that you can. I don't think you can. What's more, I don't think you need to. IMO it's better to lay out the costs and benefits. That may not work, either, but at least it has the credibility benefit of being somewhat tangible. Also, the down side of your approach is that it sounds so, er, liberal, which would automatically cost you some potential support. Drug legalization is not a demarcated left/right issue. It gets support and opposition from both sides. It would be a shame to scare off one of the sides unnecessarily.