Reply #23: I Agree with Ron Paul On This Issue

[Xicano]

The problem with prohibition against substances such as this is prohibition never works, in fact, prohibition always makes matters worse.

I know there are some folks here who are expressing concern over legalizing hard drugs such as heroin and such. But the fact of the matter is education, not criminalization is what works best. The very fact of how destructive some of these hard drugs are makes it necessary to legalize them so they can be regulated. Prohibiting only puts them into the hands of the criminal element and doesn't stop the use of them.

Ask yourselves this. If you could walk into a 7-11 store tomorrow and purchase crack, how many of you would? I'm sure that most or only the ones who would are the same ones who would buy from a street dealer today. So what kept you from buying it from a convenience store? It wasn't the law, it was education. For those who would buy it anyway legal or other wise, the law doesn't prevent them from buying it anyway.

We know this is a fact. So why spend all this money on policing and jailing when just a fraction of that spent on education would do far more good? Also why keep funding the criminal element? When is the last time you saw Ralps grocery store do a drive by shooting on Vons grocery store for selling booze in the same neighborhood?

Look, driving vehicles can be a very dangerous thing to one's self and the public. So what do we do to make sure someone is competent enough to drive safely and what do we do when that someone shows too much of a history of driving unsafe? We require them to submit to a driving test for a driver's license, and, we suspend or revoke their license if they have too much of a history of being unsafe.

The same thing can and should be applied for dangerous hard drugs (not soft ones such as pot). You want to use heroin? Ok, but, first you must pass this test showing you know the nature and dangers of this drug to get a permit to buy, and, if you violate any of the regulations of the permit reasonably enough, your permit will be suspended or revoked.

Again, we should focus on education, not criminalization.