Writer's Block: Prohibited
Dec. 5th, 2008 11:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trelobita[Error: unknown template qotd]
It's looking more and more like tobacco products are on their way to being illegal. I don't even use them, but I admit that I'm fairly disturbed by these developments.
Outlawing things like that is creepy big government stuff. A government that watches over us and makes sure we don't do anything bad to ourselves because we don't have the good sense to make our own judgments.
In truth, I don't think ANY drug should be illegal. I was in full support of Ron Paul's outlook on that. All those crazy neo-cons out there seem to think that the only thing keeping most people from going out and getting wasted on cocaine and heroin is the fact that they're illegal! That shows some great faith in humanity, doesn't it? While I am in favor of cannabis and the medical and psychological benefits it contains (Not to mention the fact that there has NEVER been a case of spousal abuse under the influence of marijuana as opposed to alcohol), I would NEVER touch meth or heroin or cocaine!
Abolishing the war on drugs would maybe cause a brief moment of upheaval and panic, but eventually, the benefits would be numerous. Addicts could seek help without fear of prosecution. A significant amount of power would be taken from the mafia and all the dangerous illegal drug rings that are operating beneath the surface. There would still be the matter of controlled substances, and it's likely that most of those drugs would be prescription only deals. But still, even THOSE are illegally obtained by those who desparately want them. Also, I agree with age limit laws. I fully agree with alcohol age limits and cigarette age limits, though it confuses me that they are two different ages. In fact, you're considered an adult in almost every sense at the age of 18, but you still can't purchase alcohol for another three years! What's up with that??
What we put into our bodies is our own business. Seriously! And come on. You KNOW car emissions are a hell of a lot more hazardous to our health than second-hand smoke. Speaking of emissions, my state requires emissions tests to be passed before you can get your license plate updated. Now, I see how this could be a good thing in theory, but it just isn't working. All that happens is there are now a LOT more expired tags on the road because people have failed their emissions tests and cannot afford the car repairs that would enable them to pass them! For example, my husband's Ford Taurus failed last year, and it would have cost $1,500 just to get it fit to pass! You think we can afford that?? If my father-and-law hadn't come to the rescue and let us borrow one of his vehicles, Marten would still be driving around with an expired license plate and HOPE no cops would happen to sit behind him at a red light.
I just don't think anything is solved by piling on more and more laws. The more silly laws they push on us, the more law breakers they inherently create.
It's looking more and more like tobacco products are on their way to being illegal. I don't even use them, but I admit that I'm fairly disturbed by these developments.
Outlawing things like that is creepy big government stuff. A government that watches over us and makes sure we don't do anything bad to ourselves because we don't have the good sense to make our own judgments.
In truth, I don't think ANY drug should be illegal. I was in full support of Ron Paul's outlook on that. All those crazy neo-cons out there seem to think that the only thing keeping most people from going out and getting wasted on cocaine and heroin is the fact that they're illegal! That shows some great faith in humanity, doesn't it? While I am in favor of cannabis and the medical and psychological benefits it contains (Not to mention the fact that there has NEVER been a case of spousal abuse under the influence of marijuana as opposed to alcohol), I would NEVER touch meth or heroin or cocaine!
Abolishing the war on drugs would maybe cause a brief moment of upheaval and panic, but eventually, the benefits would be numerous. Addicts could seek help without fear of prosecution. A significant amount of power would be taken from the mafia and all the dangerous illegal drug rings that are operating beneath the surface. There would still be the matter of controlled substances, and it's likely that most of those drugs would be prescription only deals. But still, even THOSE are illegally obtained by those who desparately want them. Also, I agree with age limit laws. I fully agree with alcohol age limits and cigarette age limits, though it confuses me that they are two different ages. In fact, you're considered an adult in almost every sense at the age of 18, but you still can't purchase alcohol for another three years! What's up with that??
What we put into our bodies is our own business. Seriously! And come on. You KNOW car emissions are a hell of a lot more hazardous to our health than second-hand smoke. Speaking of emissions, my state requires emissions tests to be passed before you can get your license plate updated. Now, I see how this could be a good thing in theory, but it just isn't working. All that happens is there are now a LOT more expired tags on the road because people have failed their emissions tests and cannot afford the car repairs that would enable them to pass them! For example, my husband's Ford Taurus failed last year, and it would have cost $1,500 just to get it fit to pass! You think we can afford that?? If my father-and-law hadn't come to the rescue and let us borrow one of his vehicles, Marten would still be driving around with an expired license plate and HOPE no cops would happen to sit behind him at a red light.
I just don't think anything is solved by piling on more and more laws. The more silly laws they push on us, the more law breakers they inherently create.
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-05 05:27 pm (UTC)I'm very happy that smoking is basically banned where I live now, because it means I can actually go to bars with my friends. And you know what? There was a big stink about how it would hurt business, and then it didn't. Even the bars that weren't legally obligated to go non-smoking ended up doing it after a few weeks, because they weren't getting as much business as the ones that were smoke-free. And it's not just me - there's 15 million people with asthma in this country.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1241205
I'm generally for much more moderate laws on, say, marijuana (used in private residences). But not public smoking.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-06 05:54 am (UTC)However, being a child of the 60s, I really don't like passing laws that dictate what a person does with his or her body. Legalizing drugs, particularly marijuana, was a big issue when I was in college. One of the biggest arguments we discussed was the fact that drug dealers would stop making so much money, if we could buy the stuff legally. (Not that I would, mind you. I think it's stupid to do drugs. I just don't think it should be against the law to be stupid.)
The thing about smoking/exhaust, and why I don't disagree with those laws, is that those things do harm others. They aren't just what you're doing with your own body, but what you do with mine as well. (I do hope Marten gets his car fixed! When they started emissions tests here, they gave credits to people to help them fix their cars.)
Piling on more laws is not an answer, I agree. Our laws and our system are wonky. Our government basically screws up everything it touches, and I am a firm believer in keeping the government out of our lives as much as possible. It would be wonderful if our laws were passed with a measure of common sense. For example, if a person commits a robbery, using a gun, to pay for his drug habit, it makes no sense to me to prosecute him for doing drugs or owning a gun - prosecute him for robbery. Duh. , But that ain't the way it works in this country. Or any other, come to think of it.
We do need to solidify our thinking on age limits. I remember wondering WTF was with our states when a person could be drafted at 18 but couldn't drink. "Oh, we trust you to kill people and destroy things, but no beer for you!" Yeah, that makes sense.