I have considered myself a Civil Libertarian since the Republican party moved left after the Reagan presidency. More importantly I am a born again, fundamentalist Christian.
I am aghast at the way we have let the federal government ignore our Constitution and take away our rights to make our own decisions. I believe that God gives each individual the right to decide where he/she will spend eternity. All other decisions that we make pale in significance to that decision. Individuals should be allowed to decide how we want to live our lives right up to the point that those decisions infringe on the rights of others.
With the above in mind I want to discuss the issues of drug/alcohol laws in the United States. Drug laws should be revised to be similar to laws regarding alcohol use. Each adult should have the freedom to make decisions concerning the use of either product.
I am a sheltered, conservative, mid-westerner so I my observation that the people who live in one of the houses on block where my son lives are selling drugs may be incorrect. As I set here Sunday morning I see vehicle after vehicle pull up in front of that house. Someone from the house climbs into the passenger side of the vehicle for a minute or two, the horn honks and someone else comes out of the house and shakes hands with the person in the car. The people in the cars, and also walk-up customers, vary in race and age, although the majority appear to be blacks under the age of 50.
We have been here over a week now. The people in this house, several, related (I think) "families", respond politely to a hello or wave when we are out front. They have given us no reason to be concerned about them (fear them) being neighbors.
There is a park across the street. It appears that it would be quite easy for the police to set up surveillance cameras on the next block over and monitor the activity, eventually leading to the arrest of at least some of them. When I consider this I also must consider what would be gained by such an action. Taxpayers would bear the cost of trying and incarcerating more young black men. Taxpayers would bear the cost of raising the children of these young men, which we may already be doing since they probably have no legal income. We would have more young black men hit the streets with prison records, thus making them even more unemployable. The end result would be that the business would just move down the street, or over a block, or somewhere. It might be operated by someone else but it would certainly continue.
Most of us can understand the motivation, and even be sympathetic, for someone who illegally enters our nation, because of the belief that they will have a better opportunity to make money. Are we blind to the concept that as long as there is demand for a product, legal or illegal, someone will provide that product?
Spending billions of tax dollars spraying poppy fields in Asia, assisting with apprehension of drug kingpins in Mexico and South American is insane. Can any of you remember reading about Prohibition in your history books? Look it up. Government couldn't control alcohol then and it can't control drugs now.
As long as there are obscene levels of profits to be made someone will provide the supply. One of two things need to happen. Legalize drugs and tax the hell out of them, just like alcohol, while actually enforcing/imposing VERY HARSH penalties on anyone who provides drugs to children. The other alternative is to stop the demand. The only way to do that is to impose HARSH penalties on those who buy the drugs. In our current namby, pamby world, which considers that no one should be held responsible for his/her actions, only the first option seems viable.
For Christians who are considering what I have said, can any of you point out to me where Christ, or any New Testament Christians, supported having Rome, the government at the time, impose morality laws?
I urge readers to leave me a comment on this site, whether you agree or disagree with me. Also, let us know why, and suggest alternatives.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Have a great day. May God bless you and yours.
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