Any prohibitionism is tyranny

Respectfully disagree with D-Lamp #198, "The war on drugs is necessary." Appreciate your concerns, but...

((dusts off soapbox, straightens tie))

Any prohibitionism is tyranny. All the temperance, Putritan, Muslim, and Communist 'morals' laws, regarding drugs, sex, gambling, dancing, eating, and other 'vice' habits collectively known as the AoSHQ lifestyle. No.

Real, legally-enforceable transgressions will occur soon enough if someone has a problem, with booze, drugs, shopping, whatever. Traffic hazard, threat to children, public nuisance, all involve transgressive behavior. Possessing or using substances, not. (Manufacturing meth? Well, if you are safely away from everyone and have toxic waste cleanup insurance....)

Every life is interconnected, as is well discussed in suicide threads. Abuse is not a victimless crime. Social and familial support is supposed to precede and, one hopes, obviate involving the law — to help people before their problems become truly criminal.

Therefore, better to do away with all the un-Constitutuonal, selectively-enforced, and corruption-riddled class 'war' on some politically-incorrect behaviors-of the-week, and instead turn our guns (metaphorically speaking of courssssse) on that infinitely more destructive addiction, pluralist-socialist thinking — manifest in the maze of laws, regulations, taxes, and welfare which discourages individual initiative, achievement, and responsibility, and which punishes, hobbles, and undermines good social organizations, congregations, communities and families who would otherwise stave off the culture of indulgence and despair which foments self-destructive pursuits.

One does not have to endure the streetwalker plying her trade on main street, the needle addict shooting up in the public park, the pot peddler in the schoolyard, or the drunk drooling on your shoes at the mall, to permit them individual liberty in their own spheres - the right to do even things we might find distasteful. Your right to smoke your cigar does end where my nose begins, depending heavily on where I stick my nose, of course.

Just FTR. When my great-aunt caught the clap, her husband and the entire crew of the whore house were put on the next train out of town. My grandfathers were likely involved in this act of community vigilantism. Possibly had sanction of some with badges. Note that what had been tolerated had its threshholds. But, enforcing community standards by whatever means does presume a preponderance of the community has standards, which gets us to moral and spiritual education....

If I want a beer, or the right to have a beer even if I never have one again (mmmm... beer....), I must extend that potentially self-destructive alcoholic right to others. I don't have any interest in renting sex, and I would not recommend it to my sons, and would do whatever I could to help any woman out of the life as if she were my own daughter, but if some old widower geezer can afford to spend his casino winnings on gifts for that lady who doesn't go to church, well, if they just don't make me watch, endorse, clean up after, or pay for it, then I guess it's just none if my business. M'k?

/rant ©mww 2014 all rights reserved for life +75 years soon to be a major motion picture starring Cheech & Chong.