I am so glad someone posted this poll. And "too many choices" comment about how do we wage a war on inanimate objects is right on the money! You wage wars on people not on drugs. Its the peoples addictions that are the problem, not the drugs. If you took away the addiction, what power would drugs have?
This is a subject that I am vehemently passionate about. Not only are we losing the war on drugs, we are destroying our own people and neighborhoods. WIth all due respect liliysdad, how is it a victory when you take a 15 year old kid off the street and put him in lockup, when another 15 year steps right up in his place to make a few thousand a week?
The Rockefeller laws have guaranteed that teenagers will be used as disposable salesmen in the unstopable illegal drug trade. Why is that? Because the laws state anyone who is not a minor who sells within close range to a school, gets a ridiculously long mandatory min sentence. How do you get around that? Recruit kids to sell the drugs for you. ANd let me tell you, there is no shortage of kids wanting to be just like their rap heroes in their expensive cars. These heroes are their brothers, cousins, they garner extreme respect in their neighborhoods.
I am reading 3 books right now on the subject, the best one is writtne by California drug court judge called, " Why our drug laws have failed and Wha we can do about it", The one thing I read in this book that stands out is an experiement that 2 Narcotics units did in 2 cities, Portland and San Diego. In Portland, over several years they did extensive surveillence and identified all 75 street dealers in the city. They arrested ALL 75 dealers at the same exact time with a massive sting operation. All 75 were arrested and in jail. Within 14 days, all of these drug dealers posts were replaced with new recruits! The same exact thing happened in San Diego. How is that winning??
Another booked called " THe Cocaine Kids" which is a documentary following a teenage group of drug dealers over the period of 5 years in which the head of the group is 14 years old! THe other book I read is called" Drug Crazy : How We Got into This Mess and How We Can Get Out"
I would recommend the first one if you had to pick, but they are all good. THe one point I wanted to get across is look at history. Did you guys know, cocaine and heroin were prescribed to addicts by doctors and dispensed by Pharmacies in the early part of this century? Until the religious influence in the 1930's all drugs were legal. WHen prohibition was delclared, a MASSIVE crime wave insued, and gave birth to the biggest gangsters of all time. Before prohibition, buying a beer was just like it is today. A brewery which employs thousands of workers makes it, distributes it in trucks which employs truck drivers, and then people drink it in a pub or buy it in a liqour store which CARDS and enforces state law on purchasers and they enjoy at home. Ask any school kid whats easier to get, alcohol or weed? Everyone of them will say weed.
Anyway, you take the responsibilty of making beer in the hands of responsible people who make sure their product is consistent, safe from poisons, clean, and make it illegal and now the responsibility is now is the hands of muderers, and criminals who will stop at nothing to satisfy the addiction to beer. Which now, is hard liquor because its too bulky to illegally transport huge tankers of beer. So you have to pack as much punch in a small package as you can. We did do something smart though, when we realized we had made a disaterous mistake, we repealed prohibition!!
Now, how is alcohol and drugs any different? People are going to do them regardless. Putting people in jail doesnt do anything to curb drug addiction. 60% of prisoners are non violent drug offenders. It costs over 120, 000 dollars to keep 2 children in a group home for one year when a mother is arrested for drug trafficing, on top of her cost of prison expenses. For what?
Legalize drugs and make them available through pharmacies, and every drug dealer will disappear overnight. Use the money through selling these drugs legally to fund their own recovery. The cost of drugs is ridiculously inflated, it costs nothing to grow and process weed and cocaine. Those higher costs make people into prostitutes robbers, and violent people to get the money to get that high.
Anyway, I am glad to see others which open minds in a gun forum, that is a pleasant suprise for me. I welcome debate to my post. But please backup your claims with evidence.
about alcohol anymore it has become an accepted part of society. Logic dictates that anything that is no more harmful or addictive should be allowed. To do otherwise is simply not logical....