Newsgroups: alt.politics.usa.misc,talk.politics.misc,soc.culture.usa,alt.activism.d,talk.politics.drugs From: [r n t] at [drutx.att.com] (NN2414200-ThomasRN(DR7312)412) Subject: Re: war on drugs and the government Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1993 16:05:37 GMT In a bunch of articles several people said a lot of stuff about the constitution, prohibition, drugs, and what happened when. Let's look at the damage the "War on Drugs" has inflicted on U.S. society. + Gangsterism for fun and profit. Many poor kids have got to be asking themselves this: "why bust my butt for 5 bucks an hour working for some chump at McDonalds when I can belong the Crips or the Bloods and make big-time money selling coke, ice, or crack and maybe end up with a nice ride like beamer?" Of course most would still opt for working at club Mac because selling drugs is illegal, but a significant number opt for gangs. If the U.S. government wanted a way to promote gangs, there is no better method than to keep drugs illegal. The Bloods, the Crips and God knows who else have huge amounts of money pouring into their gangs regularly because of the "War on Drugs." If the U.S. decides that to declare a "War on Gangs," the most devestating blow they could deal would be to legalize drugs. Personally, I'd prefer to see gangs stamped out rather than drugs--it's becoming apparent that you can't do both. + Jails and prisons are bursting at the seams. Generally, the same people who advocate lengthy mandatory sentences for drug-related crimes are the same ones who vote down financing for the extra detention facilities needed house the convicts. The U.S. has an appalling number of people locked up in prisons at an average cost 30,000 to 40,000 dollars a year for each prisoner. Why spent that kind of money punishing someone who is trying to do themselves in with chemicals anyway? The threat of lengthy incarceration isn't a deterent for someone who doesn't give a damn about themselves in the first place. Sadly, there's an almost inexhaustable supply of such individuals in the U.S. + Addicts stealing and robbing to support expensive drug habits. You could almost call this a spin-off effect. If it's costing you 150 to 200 bucks a day to cop and you're not making a six- or seven-figure income, you're going to have to rob, steal, whore, cheat, or embezell to finance your habit. + Constitutional freedoms have been jeopardized. I concur with all of the arguments appearing earlier in this thread about the dubious constitutionality of making substances illegal. Let's add to that the supreme court decesion that upheld the no-knock warrant. To top it all off, we have law enforcement agencies who feel they are impowered to do things like kidnap people and bring them to the U.S. for trial (although that tactic is now alledgedly being phased out). + Errosion of self-responsibility. The government should not be making basic decissions for its citizens like what they should or should not put in their bodies. From my point of view, you'd have to be a moron to try crack; but, if you want to, that's okay with me. People need to take responsibility for themselves or suffer the consequences. I'm out of time, so I'll post without finishing. Bob Thomas Denver, CO, USA