Quote:
Originally posted by JR@Jun 3 2005, 11:13 AM
if you break the law, you go to jail. most people worried about such laws and their implications are those who regularly break them or intend to. that is not societies problem... that is your problem. few are going to sympathize with someone who regularly breaks the law, complaining about the consequences.
the humorous thing and interesting paradox about disscussions on penalties for drug related crimes or the argument for legalization of marijuana is that no one will take your side in the argument for obvious reasons. its like trying to get people to agree that penalties for pedophilia should be litghtened. its not likely to happen. like drug arguments, the majority of people do not want to be associated with either that behavior or those people that defend it. most people are not going to take a public stand on the side of drug users because they dont want to be associated with it. why would they? twisting the argument around by posting crime stats, medical facts or how hemp makes great rope is never going to make the average mother of 3 say "you know what? you're right! i dont care if my kids buy marijuana and smokes it everyday".
as once said by Jack Trout: "in marketing, perception IS the reality" - this is the problem you will always face in your "fight"... and extraneous arguments such as "bush is an asshole" or "the government is coming to get you" have no relation to the common perceptions about marijuana, its use and the perceptions of those who regularly use it.
just my 2 cents.
i really enjoy these conversations because it is a valid discussion and the arguements for the legalization of marijuana are valid. i also admit that when Timon challenged me to prove to him that marijuana was bad, i couldn't. i expected to readily find overwhelming medical evidence and couldn't - which only served to intrigue me more.
that being said, i think that the fight is not about rights, law, medical use etc but about perceptions. and i think that changing the perceptions about the average, daily pot smoker as a slow, lazy, innept slacker is going to be nearly impossible.
... and that is the real battle that should be fought if anyone wants change.
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Anyone who has ever used drugs knows they are breaking the law. if they get caught, the penalites are severe. mandatory minimums are no new thing, three strike laws arent new either. i dont see how federal drug laws are surprising to anyone. Drugs, however much fun they are, are linked directly to crime, abuse, poverty, disease, etc. Whateer the recreational user might think about their use and its effects, they are drowned out by the majority of non recreational users, traffickers and producers. I have no problem with anyone doing drugs as long as it doesnt hurt anyone but themselves. But that is never the case, because somewhere down the line somebody got robbed, hurt or killed in the process of making the product available. so it is far from a victimless crime, even to the casual user. Ive done my share, for sure, but i always knew the possible repurcussions, and even felt them. So i cant understand why people get up in arms about the inevitable drug laws. Granted, it is an ineffective way to fight the crime associated with an addictive substance, but since when has law enforcement even made a dent in activity?
06-03-2005
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