Pubdate: Sun, 30 Dec 2001 Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Quesnel Cariboo Observer Contact: http://www.quesnelobserver.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260 Author: Alan Randell DRUG LAWS ARE HURTING OUR COMMUNITIES Editor: Re: Shots fired in grow house bust, Dec. 19. Lord, save us from a free, but lazy press. At a time when your drug laws are being questioned as never before, how is it possible that, as far as one can determine, your reporter failed to ask the police officer a single question about the efficacy or otherwise of the law prohibiting certain drugs? Isn't that what reporters are supposed to do, ask questions? Here are a few pertinent questions your reporter should ask the next time a drug cop crows about the latest drug bust: 1. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms implies that citizens have the right to pursue their own form of happiness so long as they hurt no one else. Thus it seems Canadians have the right to ingest any drug, however harmful. Why do you feel the government has the right to punish individuals for what they choose to ingest into their own bodies and jail those who supply them? 2. If drugs are banned because they are harmful to users, why, then, are tobacco and alcohol not banned? Doesn't this seem unfair to those who prefer illegal drugs? If we ban one harmful drug, shouldn't we ban all harmful drugs? 3. Is it not true that, far from protecting users from harm, banning a drug harms them much more than would otherwise be the case because it cuts them off from access to drugs of known potency and purity? Weren't thousands of Americans poisoned or blinded by adulterated alcohol during Prohibition. Didn't the problems vanish when alcohol was legalized again? 4. Many have characterized drug prohibition as nothing less than a Hitler-like government pogrom designed, first to ostracize, and then, to annihilate an identifiable minority of innocent people. Would you feel hard done by if you were sentenced to a few years in jail for your part in enforcing drug prohibition? 5. Is it your position that the police are duty bound to enforce any law no matter how unjust? Would you, for example, help to enforce a law requiring the imprisonment of all Jews? Adolph Eichmann protested He was simply following orders when he assisted in implementing Hitler's Final Solution but the Israelis hanged him anyway. Did he get a raw deal in your estimation? 6. Is there any way that we can be assured that any of the police officers involved didn't take some of the drugs for their own use? 7. The 1973 Le Dain Commission concluded, "There appears to be little permanent physiological damage from chronic use of pure opiate narcotics." Why, then, ban heroin? 8. If prohibition is so great, why did America give up on the prohibition of alcohol? 9. Is it not true that if drugs and prostitution were legalized, the power of the Hells Angels would be severely curtailed? After all, Prohibition created Al Capone, not the other way around. 10. Is it not true that if marijuana were legalized, marijuana grow operations would be no more dangerous, do no more damage and steal no more hydro than the average tomato grow operation? 11. I've been told that police officers support laws like our drug laws because they increase crime and hence police budgets and police power. In fact, I'm told they would be in seventh heaven if tobacco and/or alcohol were banned. Is that true? For me, there is no more reason to punish drug users and dealers today than there was in the past to hang witches, lynch blacks, incarcerate Japanese Canadians or gas Jews. On second thoughts, perhaps it's not laziness on your reporter's part after all. Publishers and editors have always believed that the routine enforcement of unjust laws sells newspapers so there's little chance you will allow your reporters to do other than cheer the cops on. "Black woman refuses to leave the whites only section of the bus. Officials warn that more severe punishments are needed to control the increasing number of uppity niggers." "Blasphemous witch dragged screaming from her home. Expected to be hanged before end of month if court time can be found. Black youth dragged from his home and lynched before an approving crowd. Police spokesman admits leads are few and that killers may never be found." "600 Jews seized in local raids. Not many more left, crow law enforcement officials" No, I don't have too much respect for the police these days, or the media. Alan Randell, Quesnel - --- MAP posted-by: Josh