Thursday, September 28, 2006

A better idea....

HERE

The drug war is worse than a waste of money, it simply and obviously causes more problems than it solves.

7 comments:

scout said...

our landlords have cop relatives. talking with them and how organized crime is so huge in canada, i suggested marijuanna be outright legal. the reply was that while that's good in theory, it's not going to work unless the united states makes some drastic moves toward legalizing it too. otherwise the border trade just continues.....b.c. bud for cocaine , made in canada 'ice' for whatever.

interesting mr.christ (ha, great name) is leading such a growing movement. if all is said and done, can orders be place on the internet?

Ron said...

scout: Canada is a sovereign nation. We have the right to make our own decisions, and drug flow would be a problem the Americans would have to deal with. It's one thing, I guess they think, to send armies to central american dots on the map--it'd be entirely another for the United States to move against Canada in the same way were drugs legal here. Even the States knows that wouldn't fly.

I can just imagine the British Prime Minister spinning in circles, going "my goodness, my lord, oh gawd, choosing can be ever so difficult..."

Besides, prohibition worked out pretty well for Canada :-)

...and who mentioned legalizing just grass? Legalize them all; that'd work at least for us Canadians, too. Then there'd be not much point in trading for ice--you could get that at the corner store...

I know some folks would get hurt, but there are lotsa folks getting hurt, badly, right now. Might as well let the ones who get hurt be the ones who choose it for themselves. At least that'd be an improvement.

scout said...

ron, i was just commenting on some attitude out there.....it doesn't necessisarly reflect my own beliefs. and looks like we won't be a sovereign nation soon if the cons stay in power. thats besides the point though.

i know the movement is growing to see a more 'dutch' approach to drugs.

meatime many reservations are enstating 'zero tolerance' and those who get busted lose their status, get kicked off the rez until they've 'worked the program' and can prove themselves clean.

again, this is just news, no opinion included.

Ron said...

scout: I understood you were noting someone else's opinion. :-)

Personally, I have little or no interest in whether someone is "clean" or not. What I am concerned about is people's behaviour towards others.

People choose their lives, and whether or not they want to do drugs, alcohol, tobacco...whatever. Some folks treat others fine and don't put anyone else at risk when they're high as a kite. OK, no problem.

Some folks get all out of shape and endanger others. Then we have to talk.

John T. Kennedy said...

"Canada is a sovereign nation. We have the right to make our own decisions.."

Canadians have a right to make their own decisions individually, not collectively.

Canada has already collectively decided on prohibition, and there's nothing just about that.

Ron said...

John: You are correct. Howvever, there is a growing trend up here to legalize/decriminalize marijuana and other drugs. If we did that, it would be a small step in the right direction.

Of course, the use of such substances should already be an individual decision with no interference by the state.

My response here mentioning our national sovereignty was in response to scouts mention of an opinion she heard that stated we couldn't legalize because it would upset the US government.

Anonymous said...

The U.S. tried Prohibition, even passed an ammendment to the Constitution, then repealed it when they found it simple created more criminal activity, i.e. Al Capone.

In the late 1800's one could purchase a Cocaine Kit from the Sears Catalogue, because it was 'fashionable.'

The issue of drugs and responsibility should be 'Commit a real crime and drugs are no excuse.

If people wish to fry their brains, go right ahead. I choose not to personally.

We could have stopped numerous real crimes if the billions wasted on Wacky Weed and other drugs had been spent on real crime.

But, that would be intelligent...wouldn't it?