We should give up on the war on drugs

[cwhirly]

The 1 trillion dollars wasted on the war has done nothing but flood prison systems and give people excuses to collect unemployment and welfare, so in actuality it costed the us much much more. What are your thoughts?

[Straight]

I agree. People who manufacture, traffic, sell, and use drugs cost the rest of the people a lot of money.

But a lot of people breaking the law is no reason to not enforce it. That makes no sense whatsoever.

[will_be_waiting]

I think what this government should do is start changing some laws and quit wasting so much damn money on something that has been around longer then they have. With more then 50% of inmates sitting in federal right now on drug charges, I bet 35% are first offenders with no previous records.

Since the U.S gov't is envious and hates competition, they automatically want to hand down the maximum possible sentences to drug offenders. As you can see, they can't stand seeing people make more money then them.

[Straight]

What you're not talking about is the number of other crimes directly attributed to drugs. Home invasions, car thefts, murders, robberies, assaults, and all the rest.

There are countless posts on this site that say "He wouldn't have done what he did if he wasn't high"

Do we excuse those crimes, too?

Something being around a long time doesn't make it good, acceptable or desirable. At some point, you'd hope we'd be smart enough to leave some things alone.

Why is personal accountability not what we strive for? Taking responsibility for your choices and the results of them. Being an adult and not always on the lookout for what other people should excuse us for.

As for the US government, we may have a lot in prison for drugs, but if you compare the sentences handed down in other countries, and the conditions they are carried out in, I doubt if you'd fine too many in a US prison that would trade places and sentences with a drug convict in other places.

Let's do it the easy way. Don't do drugs. How is that not easier? You don't even have to get up off the couch to not do drugs.

[will_be_waiting]

Originally Posted by Straight

What you're not talking about is the number of other crimes directly attributed to drugs. Home invasions, car thefts, murders, robberies, assaults, and all the rest.

There are countless posts on this site that say "He wouldn't have done what he did if he wasn't high"

Do we excuse those crimes, too?

Something being around a long time doesn't make it good, acceptable or desirable. At some point, you'd hope we'd be smart enough to leave some things alone.

Why is personal accountability not what we strive for? Taking responsibility for your choices and the results of them. Being an adult and not always on the lookout for what other people should excuse us for.

As for the US government, we may have a lot in prison for drugs, but if you compare the sentences handed down in other countries, and the conditions they are carried out in, I doubt if you'd fine too many in a US prison that would trade places and sentences with a drug convict in other places.

Let's do it the easy way. Don't do drugs. How is that not easier? You don't even have to get up off the couch to not do drugs.

Yea well the OP asked what are your "thoughts", not lets write a book and compare apples to oranges or contrast silver and gold.

Not to mention Straight, this thread is from last month, had no posts, and the OP has been banned. Had I noticed that earlier, I wouldn't have put my in.

Anywho...thanks for the input.

[AprilShuman88]

i wish there was a "like" button lol

[MrBW]

Originally Posted by will_be_waiting

I think what this government should do is start changing some laws and quit wasting so much damn money on something that has been around longer then they have. With more then 50% of inmates sitting in federal right now on drug charges, I bet 35% are first offenders with no previous records.

Since the U.S gov't is envious and hates competition, they automatically want to hand down the maximum possible sentences to drug offenders. As you can see, they can't stand seeing people make more money then them.

It sounds silly when you put it that way, but it's the sad truth. the government can't stand to see people make a decent living without being miserable and sitting in a cube every day while it deadens their sense of what life is about. So sick how much the pharm industry makes and they are always selling use new drugs that in the long run end of causing tons of damage to people who unknowingly accepted their products and ended up ruining their quality of life with their side effects.

[probedinfl]

Originally Posted by Straight

What you're not talking about is the number of other crimes directly attributed to drugs. Home invasions, car thefts, murders, robberies, assaults, and all the rest.

There are countless posts on this site that say "He wouldn't have done what he did if he wasn't high"

Do we excuse those crimes, too?

.

What we do is prosecute THOSE crimes when they occur, leaving prison space for longer sentences for those dangerous crimes. Leave the vast majority who just get high and don't bother anyone but themselves alone.

Busybodies can't stand to do that.

[SusanWayward]

Which other countries are you speaking of, exactly?

I know of some Federal prisoners who are doing LWOP for drug importation who would GLADLY trade places with R. Smith of Canada.

He was given 7 years mandatory minimum and it was ruled unconstitutionally cruel and unusual:

R. v. Smith (Edward Dewey), [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1045 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada decision. The Court struck down a mandatory seven year sentence requirement for the importation of drugs as a violation of the right against cruel and unusual punishment contrary to section 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Smith was represented by Vancouver lawyer Anthony P. Serka.

SEVEN YEARS! And it was ruled unconstitutional.

Our ultra-long, out of proportional sentencing in this country is precisely the cause of our claim-to-fame as the #1 incarceration nation.

We should also take a look at the prison system in Norway and other Scandanavian countries before we make up our minds about whether or not US drug convicts really would or wouldn't trade places with prisoners in other countries.

For a first-world country, our "justice" system stinks. We are making confetti out of a perfectly good Constitution that functioned as it was supposed to up until the past fifty years or so.

Originally Posted by Straight

As for the US government, we may have a lot in prison for drugs, but if you compare the sentences handed down in other countries, and the conditions they are carried out in, I doubt if you'd fine too many in a US prison that would trade places and sentences with a drug convict in other places.

[Maya2007]

The drug wars obviously not working. Is it? That's why I think its political. It all boils down to greed.

[WishfulThinker]

If you ask me, it's a endless game of cat and mouse.

[thegreatdoubter]

Originally Posted by WishfulThinker

If you ask me, it's a endless game of cat and mouse.

Yes....the problem has gotten worse, not better, in the past few years....repealing prohibition of drugs, realistically, is the only long-term solution here. Prohibition of alcohol in the USA did not work,either,after all. One of the main reasons why prohibition of drugs does not work, and never will, is down purely to biological aspects of human psychology and human behaviour regarding pleasurable substances- the desire to acquire and consume more of certain substances delivering pleasurable experiences to the emotional centres of our brain cannot naturally be suppressed indefinitely.

[Jimmy74]

Legailizing weed would tear a big hole in the reveune that the gangs and cartels are taking in. Weed is a no brainer to legalize. Some of the other drugs I don't really have a good answer for how to handle right now. Some people can handle a little recreational cocaine or pain killers and some it destroys their lives and others around them. I don't know if it should exactly be legal there are some pros and cons. I can tell you putting people that just need a little help into the violent world of prison sure isn't an answer.

I'm not one to run out and say tax, tax, tax but it would be nice if we could at least collect the income taxes, no higher or lower than the rates of regular businesses, and also the regular sales tax rates of all the states, counties, cities and districts. People are going to use drugs regardless so maybe it's better if honest (or at least registered and legal, LOL) business gets the profits and also that people that need treatment get something adequate. If they keep refusing to get with the treatment offered than maybe some kind of hard labor for a while to help them reconsider their choices but nothing like the system as is.

[Lordbew/us]

Okay this is just my opinion as of today....it could possibly change tomorrow.
Marajuana ought to be legal you don't see too many people kicking ass and raising hell when they are high on pot, can't say that about alcohol.
I'm leaning towards legalizing everything only because it would get rid of the underground drug cartel (oh and the GOVERNMENT corruption 'cause we'd be fools to think it doesn't exist). I am starting to believe that keeping everything illegal is just a JOB Creation bill.
Somethings gotta give...I'm sick of our loved ones getting caught up in the system for problems of addiction and it's ridiculous!!! So if addiction is a disease why the HECK do we keep sending these addicts to prison where they get sub par help if any and rack up a few felonies that complicate their lives even more when they are released from prison. I do not excuse their criminal behavior but crap this is a revolving hell that is out of control.

I believe there are better ways to spend our hard earned tax dollars.