Pubdate: Fri, 13 Mar 2015
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2015 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Bob Ramsey
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n136/a03.html

POT OBSESSION NOT HELPFUL

Re: "The Christian case for drug law reform - Marijuana is not God's 
mistake for the government to fix, says Rep. David Simpson of 
Longview," March 5 Viewpoints.

It is heartening to see Simpson write a well-reasoned piece 
advocating the repeal of marijuana prohibition in Texas. Even more 
heartening, he has not been summarily branded a heretic. Simpson's 
Christian perspective reminds us: "As ye have done unto the least of 
these my brethren, ye have done unto me."

I believe every law has a positive intent. The positive intent of 
draconian drug penalties must have been deterrence: If penalties are 
harsh enough, people will not even think about breaking the law.

Decades of drug war have shown deterrence is not working. People now 
seem ready to accept the notion, as with alcohol, that there can be 
use without abuse. Substance abuse must take its place among the many 
forms of self-destructive behavior.

Jesse Jackson said, "Put hope in their brains, not dope in their 
veins." We have obsessed on getting dope out of veins with 
punishments that destroy hope in brains.

Bob Ramsey, Irving
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom