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To: Question_Assumptions
Again, as stated by others, those wanting to end the wasteful and unjust "War on Drugs" don't do so JUST because they want access to illegal drugs (some do). I, personally, am sick of the wasteful spending and more importantly, the loss of our civil liberties this "war" has created. And, just so it becomes really clear, alcohol would not be legal if they didn't have a means of TAXING it. Kinda makes me wonder.

People still get illegal drugs. The "War on Drugs" hasn't stopped that. If you mean a reduction in the use of drugs is a success, you have to look at the costs imposed by these "successes." No-Knock warrants, illegal traffic stops, unfair sentencing and a whole host of other abuses that our Founding Fathers (partiers, themselves) would be shocked by. And these tactics aren't just being used on the "worst" of the offenders. They're used to target anyone who is politically charged and represents a threat to those employed by the "War on Drugs".

Prohibition was repealed because PEOPLE WANTED ALCOHOL, which is why it (and the WOD) is doomed to failure. I don't want drugs, but I want my Constitutional rights, so I'm joining the fight.

Rush stated the users of illegal drugs ought to be imprisoned. He, himself, was a user of illegal drugs - unless you think he had a prescription for all the Oxycontin? It doesn't matter how he became addicted, and claiming that the means of addiction (legitemate medical pain) obsolves him of the crime (buying and using illegal drugs) is a non-starter. I'm not against him, but saying "This case is different." is not gonna help him or anyone else.

Lastly, I'm not piling on Rush because I learned long ago, through the addictions of friends and family, and through the miserable existences of people like Daryl Strawberry, Robert Downey (and now Rush), that THESE ARE PEOPLE TO BE PITIED (and helped). But helping these people isn't gonna happen unless we realize that addicts are more than criminals. They are our families and friends. Prison is not treatment. Treatment is treatment.

I still agree with 90% of what Rush has to say, so I'm not using this to discredit him, either. When he was right, he was right. On the drug issue, he was wrong. Hopefully, now, he will see that and use his experience to help himself and the millions of other addicts out there.

56 posted on 10/17/2003 1:38:34 PM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: SJSAMPLE
If you want to argue that the War on Drugs goes too far and that we should be trying to treat users instead of jailing them, I'd agree with you. But if you want to argue that we should legalize the manufacture and sale of these drugs, I don't agree with you. I'm not a fan of the War on Drugs but I'm not a fan of the other extreme (no regulation), either. And if you give many people a choice between what we have or legalization of all drugs, a lot of people are going to pick what we have now.
62 posted on 10/17/2003 2:00:50 PM PDT by Question_Assumptions (`)
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