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To: DiogenesLamp
I have lost count of how many children I have heard of over the years who's fathers sat around stoned all the time instead of PAYING FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S UPKEEP!

How many kids had fathers sitting around drunk instead of paying for their children's upkeep? Are you ready to re-instate Prohibition because of those drunks?

A couple of things you should keep in mind:

1) What you've "heard of" is worth nothing. Word-of-mouth types of information tend to get exaggerated, twisted, or otherwise altered to the point of worthlessness.
2) Worthless people tend to be worthless regardless of their drug/bad habit of choice. Good people who like to drink will not be worthless drunks; worthless people who like to drink will be worthless drunks. Good people who like to smoke pot will not be worthless stoners; worthless people who like to smoke pot will be worthless stoners.

It appears to be a regular thing among segments of humanity to blame objects instead of people for bad behavior. If a guy shoots someone, don't blame him, blame the gun. If a guy robs someone, don't blame him, blame poverty, or society. If a guy fails to do his duty by his children, don't blame him, blame the booze he was drinking or the pot he was smoking.
202 posted on 07/06/2014 6:06:59 PM PDT by fr_freak
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To: fr_freak
How many kids had fathers sitting around drunk instead of paying for their children's upkeep?

This is known as the "Tu Quoque" Fallacy. Bad behavior from one person does not excuse or justify bad behavior for another. The fact that drunks do it too doesn't make it right. The question is, are these children of stoners victims? Yes. Yes they are victims. So are we taxpayers.

Are you ready to re-instate Prohibition because of those drunks?

And this is the fallacy known as "False Dilema." You present only two answers as if they are the only possible answers. I wouldn't mind heavier regulation of drunks, but we don't have to prohibit alcohol.

It appears to be a regular thing among segments of humanity to blame objects instead of people for bad behavior.

...

If a guy fails to do his duty by his children, don't blame him, blame the booze he was drinking or the pot he was smoking.

So by your thinking, if we give you heroin, you ought to still be able to get up and work a regular job and feed your children, right? Heroin wouldn't interfere with your functionality at all because it's just a substance, and we can't be blaming substances right?

No, in this case the substance is a deadly mind altering poison, and it WILL cause you to behave differently. It will in fact be responsible for the changes to someone's life after they start consuming it.

Tampering with brain chemistry is on a level a great deal above just owning a gun.

206 posted on 07/06/2014 6:29:50 PM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: fr_freak; DiogenesLamp
Are you ready to re-instate Prohibition because of those drunks?

He may be - see post #195 and replies.

230 posted on 07/07/2014 11:04:58 AM PDT by ConservingFreedom (A goverrnment strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them.)
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