[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The fact of the matter is, 98% of people currently incarcerated for drug offenses are pure, recreational users. Do I have a problem with that? Hell no, marijuana is pretty much harmless, and hard drugs kill people and I look at it as natural selection at it's finest.
[/ QUOTE ]
I understand you to be saying that you don't have a problem with people using drugs recreationally (please correct me if my understanding is inaccurate).
[/ QUOTE ]
First, let me say that if I had to choose my passion on the issue on a scale from 1-10, it would probably be about a 3.
That being said, my stance comes purely from the fact that I believe, and have seen from my own experiences, the amount of money wasted, and the deaths of both officers and offenders, caused by the war on drugs, and certainly not because I hold the belief that everyone has a natural right to use drugs.
[ QUOTE ]
You're also stating that 98% of the people incarcerated for drug offense are incarcerated for purely recreational drug use. Wow, that seems really high, but I suppose you are probably correct.
Let me ask you this, please: do you have a problem with the law that would incarcerate such a huge number of rec drug users? And further, do you feel (as I do) that police officers and prosecutors are acting immorally by enforcing such immoral laws?
[/ QUOTE ]
As stated above, I do not think the laws are immoral, just poorly thought out and impossible to enforce.
[ QUOTE ]
Finally, do you think (as I do) that the prisons and jails are unsafe and that no non-violent, recreational drug user should be put into, or forced to remain in, such an unsafe environment? And that it is criminal to force them (and others who similarly have done nothing horrible against society nor seriously victimized anyone) into such an environment?
I think all police officers, prosecutors, prison guards and even judges who act to place non-violent, non-dangerous "criminal" offenders behind bars are acting more imorally, and are also in effect greater criminals themselves, than are the lawbreakers whom they are imprisoning.
[/ QUOTE ]
Prisons are dangerous places, but danger is a relative term. I would say your average non violent drug offender is in no more or no less danger than anyone else. Prisons aren't like what you see on TV. 90% of the time, everything is running pretty smooth, no one is attacking anyone, and everyone is relatively civil to one another.
Finally, let me close in saying that my opinions can be changed pretty quickly on the drug laws. My positions actually vary between the position stated above, and Ann Coulters position, which is this:
[ QUOTE ]
my position on drugs was to refuse even to discuss drug legalization until I don't have to pay for the food, housing, transportation and medical care of people who want to stay home all day shooting up heroin.
~Ann Coulter
link
[/ QUOTE ]
So before I really jumped totally gung-ho behind this hardcore libertarian "End Oppressive Drug Laws Now!" campaign, I'd really like to see some hard evidence that the cost of enforcement would be more than the cost of the upkeep of addicts.
As for the marijuana laws, I make an exception to that, and agree that those laws should be taken off the books, however, I stand by my statement that enforcing the law is not immoral, in and of itself.
I've dealt with drug dealers on a very personal basis on many occasions, and one thing that seems to be overlooked or ignored by many who make these arguments that arresting drug dealers is immoral is that drug dealers are usually opportunistic criminals. I know that may not be the case for every dealer, but a large majority of the drug dealers I've had dealings with either currently were, or had been involved in other criminal dealings.
Al Capone is a perfect example, and people love to bring up prohibition and compare it to the war on drugs, but the fact of the matter is that Capone, and many other bootleggers, were involved in tons of other "real" criminal activity, on top of the illegal whiskey they were manufacturing and distributing.
So, in closing, I would love to get rid of the drug laws, but I would love to do that because I believe they are a waste of money and police resources, and not because I feel some sympathy for drug users, or that they have a natural right to use.