[geeks] Glad I don't live in Texas!

[Andrew Weiss]

On Wednesday, June 12, 2002, at 03:24 PM, Bill Bradford wrote:

> I have nothing against drugs, but people who get caught with drugs, and
> then complain when they get punished...
>
> (and yes, I know that punishments are not always fair / fit the crime).
>
> Bill
>
> --
> Bill Bradford
> mrbill at mrbill.net
> Austin, TX
> _______________________________________________
> GEEKS:  http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/geeks
>
>
That's only if you believe possessing drugs is a crime.  I think most 
people who are caught in possession of drugs need treatment for 
addiction and/or are perfectly fine depending on drug and circumstance.  
Nobody should be punished for possession...only dealing (if at all).  
And I don't think most of us can see we haven't had a single sip of 
alcohol under age... Alcohol is technically a drug... and a more 
dangerous one to be on the road with than pot for instance.  Think about 
a permanent record for underage drinking.... and of course drinking ages 
are silly as well.  Also not to forget that possession of crack carries 
3 times the penalty of cocaine, yet who is most likely to have which 
drug?... Low income communities vs. the rich.... who gets railroaded 
into prison?  Who is sucking on our tax dollars in prison (where they 
get 3 meals a day versus fending for themselves on the street... if 
anyone were inclined to take a hard-line stance on this...personally I 
don't care about my tax dollars... nobody will ever spend them the way I 
wish anyways... i.e. on mandatory basic health care, university tuition 
for state schools, newer textbooks for public schools (re-instatement of 
the library funding taken away by Mr. Nixon), etc.)

This nation is pretty skewed as far as priorities go.  Look at airport 
security for instance... passing perfectly able-bodied people who fit a 
reasonably suspicious profile for terrorism while they pat down 80 year 
old women in wheelchairs....

Andrew