Re: "Legalization will create monster," by Gary Schornick, and "Compare liquor, pot prohibitions," by Kent Kelley, Saturday Letters. Schornick's letter is one of the most irrational circular arguments against legalization I've ever heard. His argument is that legalizing weed will simply cause the black market to push other illegal drugs in its place. Schornick's reasoning is actually one of the strongest arguments one could possibly posit for the decriminalization of all drugs, not just marijuana. When Prohibition was overturned in 1933, they didn't just legalize gin or just vodka, they legalized ALL alcoholic beverages. [continues 141 words]
I try to be tolerant of other people's ignorance. I really do. However, when I read this Mark Davis column, it seriously taxes my goodwill. How anybody, much less a person who writes for a living, can offer the argument that there's not a single social benefit to legalizing drugs, especially weed, leaves me struggling for words to articulate my level of disbelief. Mr. Davis, do you honestly lack the intellectual capacity to understand that the criminalization cure is 100 times worse than the ill? Intrinsic contraband comes with a thousand negative liabilities to all of society, including the possibility drugs might be planted on innocent people. [continues 94 words]
Re: "Why should police change?" by Don Skaggs, Friday Letters. Skaggs' moral premise that the criminalization of personal drug use is a legitimate use of police powers is in fact totally contrary to the well-settled philosophical mandate of social contract theory. A monopoly of force should never be used to enforce legislated morality that infringes on individual liberty of conscience where no compelling state interest could possibly sustain a morally defensible counterargument. The War on Drugs has been used to virtually void the Constitutional protections of the Fourth Amendment. The fact that thousands of police officers themselves have formed an organization called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition should tell Skaggs that instead of condoning abusive drug laws, he should be deeply concerned as an American patriot about out-of-control government tyranny that lacks the ability to self-correct when its public policies are clearly destructive. Drug addiction should have been a public health issue from day one and never a criminal justice issue. Not a single person should have had to ever die for a misguided war on drugs, cop or dealer. John Williamson, Plano [end]
