Are you ready to end the drug war yet?

1. 76

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   Are you ready to end the drug war yet?
   
   Prohibition didn't work the first time....unless empowering a black market was the actual goal.
   It is beyond clear to all but the most pig headed that prohibition hasn't worked the second go round either.  Most all of these drugs existed long before drug laws did, and more and more of them will appear - simply because of human nature.  Also, making a thing illegal makes it more attractive.  So, when will you decide that the world's largest prison population is not what you want here?  Are you ready to end it?  We have the power, government has no power unless we give it to them.
   
   

   replyreport
2. 86

   Pcunixposted 12 years ago

   I was ready before they started it.
   
   I  *do* believe we should have a war on drugs - it should be a medical war, however, not a military war as we have now.
   
   All addictions are diseases.  We need to treat them as such.  There are people who can drink responsibly, eat responsibly, gamble sanely and use drugs recreationally - we waste our time treating some of them as criminals.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      Annsaloposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer. Summed my thoughts up!

      replyreport
   2. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      TONY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm happy to see you here, and I agree one hundred percent!!!!!

      replyreport
3. 61

   fpherj48posted 12 years ago

   When I think of the "war on drugs," I have this mental image of a bunch of stupid politicians, law enforcement of every level and Holier Than Thou's......all locked up in a room made of glass...and concrete....with bats and clubs in their hands...running around swinging at anything that moves, walking into concrete walls, knocking them selves out crashing thru glass, bleeding all over, beating each other over the heads.....screaming threats, and quoting laws....while all of it stays within this room so no one but them sees it and hears it and suffers the consequences.......Utter pandemonium and insanity!!!.
   Then one or two of these morons manages to get out of the chaos to announce that they "HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL AND THE WAR ON DRUGS IS IN FULL FORCE."   
   They forget to add that it's going full force toward TOTAL FAILURE.

   replyreport
   1. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Paula, the mixing of "Hollier than thou idiots" with vulture capitalists was a devil's mix for sure!

      replyreport
4. 67

   Rebecca2904posted 12 years ago

   I don't think it should be made legal to sell or provide drugs. I understand what you mean that if it was legal then drug lords wouldn't have nearly as much money but... people still provide baking soda, and they wouldn't if there wasn't any money in it? I think perhaps the law should be eased on people who take drugs and that more help should be available to addicts, but there should be stricter laws in place for people who provide drugs - after all, there will always be people who will take advantage of the vulnerable, and heroin addicts will buy whatever is there, no matter how expensive it is.
   
   Also, you mention the world's largest prison population... but the US is hardly the only country with laws in place against providing and taking drugs. I don't think making drugs legal will solve your problems there.

   replyreport
   1. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You've very much missed the point.
      
      All of these drugs existed before drug laws - drug prohibition is what made them "sexy."

      replyreport
   2. 67

      Rebecca2904posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes but now you can't change the past. There are no laws against adults drinking alcohol but they still over-indulge, get addicted, do stupid things such as drink drive and kill people in accidents. How would it be any different with drugs?

      replyreport
   3. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It wouldn't.  People do that already - every single day, so clearly making them illegal has not solved the problem you are so worried about.  Time for another strategy.

      replyreport
5. 59

   forbcrinposted 12 years ago

   Todd, they should offer them for free. Let people get high, do something stupid, and then there will be a reason to arrest them.
   First thing would be the cold turkey detox in jail. How many people would go back on drugs, once they experienced cold turkey detox???
   
   War on drugs is stupid, as stupid as it was war on alcohol... However dealing with druggies who got in trouble would be legal and makes sense...

   replyreport
   1. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely, Sir!
      
      Most of the times I've been arrested...I deserved it.
      
      But not everyone is so lucky as I. I've been out of my mind thousands of times and had the wherewithal to not get arrested, and I shouldn't have been arrested either.

      replyreport
6. 60

   Claims-Adviceposted 12 years ago

   Remember that if the government was to produce this stuff, it wouldn't be the same product everyone gets now.
   
   The primary reason they don't though is because of the political suicide aspect.
   
   However, the way we're handling the situation now is clearly ridiculous. So what's new in government policy?

   replyreport
   1. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well, there is a difference between legalization and de-criminalizing the whole deal.  Were it just de-criminalized, that would maybe be the best solution.

      replyreport
7. 0

   DoItForHerposted 12 years ago

   I am ready for the drug war to end. I have written about it and made many comments to that end. What's more is I gathered signatures for a constitutional initiative to legalize marijuana in Montana. It did not get the required number of signatures so it failed, but at least I DID something.
   
   I weathered storms, the sun, angry people, corporate bullies, and such at my expense and time. That is what it takes to make a change. Writing to create an awareness is great, but it shouldn't stop there.
   
   I don't want to be a dink, Todd, but I am calling you out! So there! If you have done something meaningful to create a change, let us know. Be a role model. If not, that does not necessarily mean you are a blowhard, but there comes a time when one needs to act on their talk.
   
   You have my respect, and you are very likely a person who would take action- real action. Not like responding with a honk to a bumper sticker that says, "Honk if you want to legalize drugs" and then saying, "I stood up for my community today!" That is weak!
   
   What have you done?  o_O

   replyreport
   1. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!  While I can honor the sentiment of your comment - I'd wind up homeless were I to move in that direction, the landlord (Mr. Shaw) would say I was trying to ruin his upstanding reputation, or something like that.  He's not Mr. Reason.

      replyreport
   2. 0

      DoItForHerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hmmm. I feel a Hub coming on. Stay tuned.

      replyreport
   3. 76

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      On the upside, I got offered a job last night.  Start tomorrow...better than minimum wage, even.

      replyreport
   4. 0

      DoItForHerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That is great news! Important to take care of ones self before taking on those civic conundrums. Hope it doesn't interfere too much with your writing.

      replyreport
8. 79

   Beata Stasakposted 12 years ago

   the science of addiction
   for a species
   wired for survival
   we have an odd habit
   of getting hooked
   on things
   that can kill us
   and we kill each other
   for them too...
      
   Can we stop drug wars?
   Can we stop addiction?
   Can we stop... read more

   replyreport