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Big Drug War News (Congressman Dan Burton on the drug war)
The Agitator ^ | 17 December 2002 | Radley Balko

Posted on 12/17/2002 9:39:06 AM PST by Joe Bonforte

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To: MrLeRoy
The Harrison act was passed in, what, 1905? This was around the time that the 16th and 17th Amendments were ratified, which was 1911, if I'm not mistaken.

What were they thinking?!

161 posted on 12/17/2002 1:29:42 PM PST by Ken H
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To: Texaggie79
I don't go there anyways. I don't care.

I think that's pretty much how DC feels about the rest of the country. I can see why you have so much more faith in them than in your neighbors.

162 posted on 12/17/2002 1:36:43 PM PST by tacticalogic
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To: FreeTally
The jury is the voters in each state. Go see what they think....
163 posted on 12/17/2002 1:38:56 PM PST by Texaggie79
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To: tacticalogic
I don't have "more faith" in them. Like I said, I don't support a FED WOD. It is hard drugs that I do not have any faith in. I have experienced, personally their detrement. No person with common sense can witness, first hand what they do, then support complete legalization.
164 posted on 12/17/2002 1:41:08 PM PST by Texaggie79
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To: tacticalogic
I don't think anyone here is advocating that any of the drugs being discussed be made more easily obtainable than alcohol, especially to the young.

No, however, the "yutes" will not have the self-control or wisdom to limit their intake of legalized or decriminalized recreational pharmaceuticals. Fer cryin out loud, look at the weekly keggers on college campi, and imagine open, widely available drugs added into that mix.

I don't know what the solution is, or even if there is one. If there were some way to guarantee that the consequences of drug use and addiction could be limited to those individual persons alone, I'd be all for legalization. However, there can be no such guarantee...

165 posted on 12/17/2002 1:44:50 PM PST by Chemist_Geek
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To: Texaggie79
What drugs do you consider "hard" drugs - or what is the criteria you base that determination on?
166 posted on 12/17/2002 1:50:36 PM PST by tacticalogic
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To: tacticalogic
Drugs that take away one's ability to choose to use them. Heroin, cocaine, Crystal Meth, ect
167 posted on 12/17/2002 1:51:42 PM PST by Texaggie79
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To: Cultural Jihad
Your silence is deafening.
168 posted on 12/17/2002 1:54:51 PM PST by jmc813
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To: Texaggie79
I know you want to make this a "It's my damn body, I'll do what I want." issue, but that only goes as far as the FED.

Thus, -- you now admit that our constitution protects us from federal efforts to ban substances?
How inconsistant can you get? Just a few posts ago you were defending the federal narcotics acts.

Only defending why it was done. I never said it was constitutional.

Very well, you admit to defending unconstitutional acts.

Thank you.

169 posted on 12/17/2002 2:01:09 PM PST by tpaine
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To: Chemist_Geek
Fer cryin out loud, look at the weekly keggers on college campi, and imagine open, widely available drugs added into that mix.

Uh, you haven't been to any college campi lately, have you? Virtually any drug you're looking for is easily available.

And BTW, it's telling that you make alcohol out to be LESS DANGEROUS than illegal drugs. Fact is, if you could transition a college campus off of alcohol to marijuana, or even cocaine, you'd see a lot less chaos and destruction on campus.

Your argument should be: "Kids can't handle their alcohol -- let's BRING BACK PROHIBITION!"

170 posted on 12/17/2002 2:02:03 PM PST by zoyd
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To: tpaine
Shut up.... I never said I supported it.
171 posted on 12/17/2002 2:02:08 PM PST by Texaggie79
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To: Chemist_Geek
No, however, the "yutes" will not have the self-control or wisdom to limit their intake of legalized or decriminalized recreational pharmaceuticals. Fer cryin out loud, look at the weekly keggers on college campi, and imagine open, widely available drugs added into that mix.

AFAIK, drugs are widely available now, albeit not openly. Beyond that, is that a rational basis for determining what the appropriate limits of government, particularly the federal government are?

I don't know what the solution is, or even if there is one. If there were some way to guarantee that the consequences of drug use and addiction could be limited to those individual persons alone, I'd be all for legalization. However, there can be no such guarantee...

There are never any guarantees, except that if we keep doing what we're doing we're going to keep getting more and more of what we've got now.

172 posted on 12/17/2002 2:02:10 PM PST by tacticalogic
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To: zoyd
I have. Pot, easy to get. X, easy to get. Cocaine, much more difficult to get. Heroin, never seen it at a college party.

Alcyhol is the by far the most used and easily available. If you switched it with pot, it would be a mellow party. If you switched in X, DJ Dan would be a lot richer. If you switched in cocaine, well, I would be more concerned. PCP, same way. Heroine, everyone would be laid out, but none of them would be at college in the first place.

For some reason, beer just fits perfectly.

173 posted on 12/17/2002 2:06:30 PM PST by Texaggie79
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To: zoyd
And your argument is "People are going to wreck their lives and others' anyway, so toke on dude." Surrender is so unbecoming. It's like the French...

I will fight to by dying breath the foces which try to drag this American society down into becoming a cesspool of drug-addled shambing wrecks.

174 posted on 12/17/2002 2:07:22 PM PST by Chemist_Geek
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To: Texaggie79
Well, let's be honest. PCP and heroin will never become like alcohol. The only real possibility of a theoretical 'alcohol replacement' is really either pot or coke. I've seen far more belligerence out of drunks than those on coke, but I'm glad we can agree that pot would probably reduce the chaos on campus.

It's just head-shakingly depressing to think about how vilified alcohol WOULD BE if it were a newly discovered drug. If we were a nation of potheads, and beer were suddenly invented, we'd outlaw that sucker in a minute. But since it's 'socially acceptable', WOD-lovers rationalize all manner of chaos that it creates.

175 posted on 12/17/2002 2:11:18 PM PST by zoyd
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To: Texaggie79
Drugs that take away one's ability to choose to use them. Heroin, cocaine, Crystal Meth, ect

That pretty much covers all addictive drugs. Alcohol has that ability, at least for some. Extacy doesn't seem to be addictive, at least physically. How would you characterize codeine, morphine, dexedrine, benzedrine, qualude, or valium?

176 posted on 12/17/2002 2:12:15 PM PST by tacticalogic
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To: zoyd
Jesus drank wine.

Alcohol has been used resposibly by the majority of society since it existed. I will probably have a beer this evening and feel a slight buzz, with no major change in my personality or feeling.

You cannot say the same for HARD drugs. Like I say, they are a different animal.

177 posted on 12/17/2002 2:14:10 PM PST by Texaggie79
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To: Chemist_Geek
And your argument is "People are going to wreck their lives and others' anyway, so toke on dude." Surrender is so unbecoming. It's like the French... I will fight to by dying breath the foces which try to drag this American society down into becoming a cesspool of drug-addled shambing wrecks.

So, Geek, are you in favor of bringing back Prohibition, or not? If, indeed, you're in favor of "fighting to your dying breath" to avoid the "cesspool of drug-addled shambling wrecks," you should definitely be in favor of bringing back Prohibition. Alcohol creates far more damage and danger to our Republic than any illegal drug you can dream up in your nightmares.

So, Mr. Crusader, what's your stand on booze? Without a cogent argument in favor of Prohibition, I simply have to believe that you're just a paternalist drunk who doesn't want HIS drug stepped on. Some consistency would do wonders here.

178 posted on 12/17/2002 2:14:25 PM PST by zoyd
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To: Texaggie79
Alcohol has been used resposibly by the majority of society since it existed. I will probably have a beer this evening and feel a slight buzz, with no major change in my personality or feeling. You cannot say the same for HARD drugs. Like I say, they are a different animal.

I thoroughly disagree with you. Your argument has is based on some assumptions and conventions that make an easy 1-to-1 equivalence pratically impossible. #1, alcohol is socially acceptable, so you'd expect many 'social' users of alcohol wouldn't cause many problems, since they're not hard-core.

Users of illegal drugs are, almost by definition, hard-core. They're willing to break the law to get them, so you'd EXPECT more chaos from those willing to use them.

Then you lump a whole bunch of drugs into the "HARD" drugs category... nebulous, anecdotal opinion on your part, not fact.

Many of these 'hard' drugs are a different animal, because most people would never use them.

In the end, this argument that alcohol is used responsibly, while others would not, is built on a false foundation -- that alcohol is used responsibly. Is an alcoholic who never gets busted for DUI, never gets arrested for being drunk in public, but nevertheless ruins his family with his addiction any better than a heroin addict who does the same thing?

The fallacy that alcohol 'isn't that bad' is simply perpetuated by those who enjoy it. Objectively, alcohol is a very dangerous drug, legal or illegal.

Coupled with its social acceptability, it's the drug you should worry about. Heroin will never be socially acceptable. Cocaine was, in the 70s, in certain circles, but is not any longer. Pot can be acceptable, but in most places not.

If you're really worried about the damage of drugs, focus on their social acceptability, not their legality. If alcohol were the social pariah that PCP is, noboby would drink it, legal or not.

As for Jesus, so what? He's probably the one guy on Earth who really could 'hold his liquor'. Bully for him. I'd bet that if the society were 'smoking the herb' in his day, he'd have tried that, too.

179 posted on 12/17/2002 2:25:03 PM PST by zoyd
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To: Texaggie79
I know you want to make this a "It's my damn body, I'll do what I want." issue, but that only goes as far as the FED.

Thus, -- you now admit that our constitution protects us from federal efforts to ban substances?
How inconsistant can you get? Just a few posts ago you were defending the federal narcotics acts.

Only defending why it was done. I never said it was constitutional.

Very well, you admit to defending unconstitutional acts.

Thank you.

Shut up.... I never said I supported it.
171 posted on 12/17/2002 2:02 PM PST by Texaggie79

I should 'shut up' about your admitted defense of unconstitutional acts?
-- I'd say your irrational denial of not 'supporting' acts you defend is worth speaking about on a site dedicated to defending the constitution.

180 posted on 12/17/2002 2:25:09 PM PST by tpaine
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