Posted on 03/30/2009 6:49:14 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials. It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis. Unfortunately, the administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government. Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented.
Alcohol prohibition in the 1920’s brought similar violence, gangs, lawlessness, corruption and brutality. The reason for the violence was not that making and selling alcohol was inherently dangerous. The violence came about because of the creation of a brutal black market which also drove profits through the roof. These profits enabled criminals like Al Capone to become incredibly wealthy, and militantly defensive of that wealth. Al Capone saw the repeal of Prohibition as a great threat, and indeed smuggling operations and gangland violence fell apart after repeal. Today, picking up a bottle of wine for dinner is a relatively benign transaction, and beer trucks travel openly and peacefully along their distribution routes.
Similarly today, the best way to fight violent drug cartels would be to pull the rug out from under their profits by bringing these transactions out into the sunlight. People who, unwisely, buy drugs would hardly opt for the back alley criminal dealer as a source, if a coffeehouse-style dispensary was an option. Moreover, a law-abiding dispensary is likely to check ID’s and refuse sale to minors, as bars and ABC stores tend to do very diligently. Think of all the time and resources law enforcement could save if they could instead focus on violent crimes, instead of this impossible nanny-state mandate of saving people from themselves!
If these reasons don’t convince the drug warriors, I would urge them to go back to the Constitution and consider where there is any authority to prohibit private personal choices like this. All of our freedoms – the freedom of religion and assembly, the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to be free from unnecessary government searches and seizures – stem from the precept that you own yourself and are responsible for your own choices. Prohibition laws negate self-ownership and are an absolute affront to the principles of freedom. I disagree vehemently with the recreational use of drugs, but at the same time, if people are only free to make good decisions, they are not truly free. In any case, states should decide for themselves how to handle these issues and the federal government should respect their choices.
My great concern is that instead of dealing deliberatively with the actual problems, Congress will be pressed again to act quickly without much thought or debate. I can’t think of a single problem we haven’t made worse that way. The panic generated by the looming crisis in Mexico should not be redirected into curtailing more rights, especially our second amendment rights, as seems to be in the works. Certainly, more gun laws in response to this violence will only serve to disarm lawful citizens. This is something to watch out for and stand up against. We have escalated the drug war enough to see it only escalates the violence and profits associated with drugs. It is time to try freedom instead.
ping
News flash for Ronbots: Ending the “drug war” isn’t going to end the violence.
I fought drugs and drugs won.
Ron Paul Ping!
Luv ya, Ron, but you are dead wrong here, if you think legalizing drugs will make all of our crime problems go away. I’d love to ask Ron where the meth should come from to be sold in the “coffee-house dispensaries”.
This one is simple. A hundred and fifty years ago in America there were no drug laws and there were no meaningful drug problems. Nobody should need to be Albert Einstein to figure it out.
He’s a wack job. Every day its something new.
Agreed that neoprohibitionism should be abandoned.
Great question. Obviously, Paul hasn't been around people who have ruined or are ruining their lives with that stuff.
No kidding. When was the last time the mob trafficked illegal booze and smokes?
Decriminalize but don’t legalize.
Legalization will lead to a whole rainbow of new laws and taxes that none of us need.
With Decriminalization we can use existing laws and impose rational penalties and fines. Kinda like alcohol.
None of us believe that ending the Drug War will end violence altogether. It will, however, minimize the violence that now exists & GREATLY enhance freedom.
Of course it won’t make our crime problems go away. None of us ever said that it would.
Sheesh.
“With Decriminalization we can use existing laws and impose rational penalties and fines. Kinda like alcohol.”
no, not kinda like alcohol. pretty much nothing like alcohol. alcohol is legal for all adults over the age of 21. decriminilization means that it’s still illegal and still has to be smuggled into the country which does nothing to address the problems of violence in our cities, at our border, and around the world.
by making the purchase of these substances legal on the open market, we take away the monopoly that the cartels and drug gangs have.
Ok, I am listening.
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