Issue: Drug War
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The so-called "War on Drugs" is in reality a war on people. It's certainly true that people can use drugs in ways that are dangerous and make their own lives worse. However, drug prohibition is more dangerous than drugs themselves and comes with a staggering cost in both money and human lives. The War on Drugs is a continuing threat to individual liberty, to domestic order, and to peace in the world. Furthermore, it has provided a rationale by which the power of the state has been expanded to greatly restrict our right to privacy and to be secure in our homes.
There has been a lot of political activity recently relating to "legalization" or "decriminalization" of marijuana. The sentiments behind this are mostly good, and some of the changes have helped some people. But there are three big problems with this: (1) the "war" against many other drugs is still going full steam, (2) these changes haven't led to a free market, even for marijuana, and (3) the federal government continues to interfere with marijuana, against the explicit wishes of voters in the various states. There are ways to help people who get into trouble using drugs. But these services can best be provided through private action, by people who care about the individuals involved and by medical professionals. The War on Drugs doesn't help bring this kind of positive change, and in many cases it makes it harder for the victims to find their way to getting help. What we should be demanding from Congress is an end to this counter-productive and expensive "war".
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