Pubdate: Tue, 07 May 2002
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 The Abbotsford Times
Contact:  http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009
Author: Chris Buors

CRIME, TRUTH AND THE LAW

THE EDITOR:

Despite all the good intentions of the Abbotsford Coalition for Crime 
Prevention and Drug Treatment, their efforts are doomed to failure.

The members of that coalition can fool themselves all they want that they 
are dealing with crime or drug abuse or any other fiction they want.

What they are dealing with is vice and what they want is for moral 
righteousness to prevail.

In the entire history of mankind there is still not one example of where 
the legislation of morality has worked to achieve stated goals.

Because religions appeal to us to become our brother's keeper, the idea of 
using the coercive force of the law always appeals as a handy tool to those 
who wish to force their morality on others.

Janet Tomayer makes the classic social justice appeal of "community" 
responsibility and the work together to do what needs to be done. There is 
only individual responsibility - community responsibility is a fiction.

There is another course of action. The members of the community could 
advocate for the end of drug prohibition and the restoration of our natural 
right to drugs.

Once those property rights were restored the best course of action would be 
to simply leave drug choosers alone.

"Were the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies 
would be in such keeping as our souls are now. Thus in France the emetic 
was once forbidden as a medicine, and the potato as an article of food. 
Government is just as infallible,[sic] too, when it fixes systems in physics.

Galileo was sent to the Inquisition for affirming that the earth was a 
sphere.... It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth 
can stand by itself." Thomas Jefferson.

Chris Buors

Winnipeg
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom