Let’s End the War on Drugs

By Jonathan Bert
The Extreme Moderate

July 2, 2008

The War on Drugs is more damaging to America than the drugs themselves. Let’s end it, now. This is entirely a political war, as demonstrated when Janet Reno, then Attorney General of the United States, suggested we end this war. The Right Wing immediately shouted “Soft on Drugs,” and the discourse ended without any discussion of the merits of her arguments. As we have trouble locking up murderers, robbers, or sex criminals for any length of time because our prisons are jammed with drug offenders, this must mean these Right Wingers are Soft on Murder, Robbery and Sex Crimes. But then look at how many robbers they elect to office.

These people have an urge to baby-sit others, even if they don’t behave so well themselves. Drugs are bad, no question, but prisons are not good places to baby-sit users. They need treatment, not punishment.

Marijuana, for example, is a little stronger than coffee, and less addictive, but these loonies insist that it be illegal. They won’t even allow it for medical use! What business is it of their’s if somebody wants to catch a nice, peaceful buzz? It doesn’t even affect driving nearly as much as Alcohol, which I am sure they freely consume. (Minnesota is extending it’s bar closing time by two hours for the Republican Convention, being held in St. Paul this September!)

Instead of spending millions, if not billions, of dollars to enforce laws against Marijuana, legalize and tax the hell out of it. It would be income for the farmers, and would help fill our Treasury!

Other drugs should be looked at on a case by case basis, but users of even the worst ones shouldn’t be shuttled into penitentiaries, where they will be exposed to, if not instructed by, truly hardened criminals. Treat them in some manner that doesn’t make them fear and hate Police. Police should be someone that will help them through their trials and tribulations, not someone that will cage them up with cruel and unsavory people.