On 6/19/06, Gruss Gott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Using drugs doesn't make you a felon. Getting caught and going through > > the system, which includes making deals, or going to trial determines > > that. > > > > Wait, so things that are illegal are only "bad" if you get caught? So > you're ok with drug use as long as nobody is caught in the act? How > about theft? Is it ok as long as you're not caught? Or murder? Ok, > as long as you're not caught? So OJ is a great guy? Let's try to stay in topic. We're talking about three strikes, which means you need to be convicted of three felonies. Even though it is possible it's extremely unlikely anyone would be convicted of one let alone three felonies just for using drugs. > There's only 2 viewpoints here: > > 1.) You view drug use/abuse as a criminal issue. Therefore anyone > that uses, whether they get caught or not, is a criminal and therefore > not a responsible citizen. They are someone society should shun, thus > the illegality of their actions. Nope, never said any of that. > 2.) You view drug use/abuse as a health care issue. Therefore anyone > that uses needs education and possibly treatment to cure their > addiction and/or help them understand the consequences and/or > possibilities of their use. Not that either. The world isn't black and white and each issue is different. There are degrees of abuse and there are degrees of punishment. Nobody should use the broad brush to describe drug use or crime for that matter. > I obviously view illegal drug abuse as a health problem which does not > judge the users. You seem to advocate the criminal view which does > derogatorily judge the users. I never said anything like that. I never said I support criminalizing drug users. I questioned your stance on legalizing drugs. I see that's not what you meant and your solution does show some promise but I don't support it and don't want to research it. I do think dealing illegal drugs should stay illegal and so does your system. What makes you think I look down on criminals anyway? Depends on the crime I always say. > And, in the end, I think this issue is tied to a general philosophy: > do you view government as the 1st line solution to social problems? I'm not expecting the Government to go after recreational users, but I do want them to get the dealers off the corners because I don't like bullets whizzing passed my head. > Social conservatives do, and even define non-problems as problems such > as Gay Marriage. For example, what credible studies show Gay Marriage > threatens heterosexual marriage more than other factors such as > infidelity?. None, so why is it a problem? Yet social conservatives > want to make it illegal. This is a different thread that we beat to death, so I thought. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:209729 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
