Another outrageous prison sentence in the War on Drugs... (ritual, moral)

[Druidus]

http://cannabisculture.com/articles/4709.html

99 YEARS?

How many murderers, child molesters, or rapists get this length of sentence?

This is ********, people! Grade-A ********!

Yes, there was a danger to the public (explosion), and yes, there should be laws and penalties for such things. But this?

It just makes me even more sick to my stomach... Dammit!

If you say, "Would there were no wine" because of the drunkards, then you must say, going on by degrees, "Would there were no steel," because of the murderers, "Would there were no night," because of the thieves, "Would there were no light," because of the informers, and "Would there were no women," because of adultery.

- St. John Chrysostom: Homilies, c.388

Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.

- Abraham Lincoln: Speech in the Illinois House of Representatives, Dec 18, 1840.

"Sweet Leaf"

Straight people don't know, what your about
They put you down and shut you out
you gave to me a new belief
and soon the world will love you sweet leaf

-Black Sabbath, Master of Reality, 1971

Stop the damned lies, ignorance, foolishness and moral righteousness.

[gnomon]

Yes, I think the sentence is outrageous.

I just wanted to pass this on to you, Druidus.

Happy D.A.R.E. day. Our benevolent president signed a proclamation a few days ago declaring today to be national D.A.R.E. day.

A bit of trivia you might wish to note.

[jeffrey]

Prison, period, does not work that well to deter drug crime. I believe the figure is around 80% of the prison population is due to, in one way or another, drugs. Most are re-offenders. There must be a better way.

[Ody]

What can you say, some people are idiots, and thats obivously those who are giving away such foolish sentancing!

[Druidus]

Prison, period, does not work that well to deter drug crime. I believe the figure is around 80% of the prison population is due to, in one way or another, drugs. Most are re-offenders. There must be a better way.

I don't see why there even has to be such a term as "drug crime".

I, hypothetically ( ), use several different drugs/psychoactives, for both religious and spiritual purposes. These include cannabis, DXM, alcohol (not often, really, I don't enjoy it very much), amphetamines and dextroamphetamines (again, not very often) and codeine (only twice).

I haven't killed or raped anyone. I haven't destroyed society. I haven't become a junkie and/or destroyed my life using drugs. I get good grades, I am mature and responsible, politically active, motivated (where I am interested, that is. Motivation is not applied to the propaganda I am taught in public school), and intelligent. I am the anti-stereotype of the "drug user". And none of the horrible things claimed about drug use are really existent. But we believe it anyway, because we are indoctrinated at a young age.

Do you consider this post well written, intelligible, and coherent? Hopefully, that's a yes. Well, it might interest you to know that I am severely inebriated (marijuana) right now. Yet I can still function as an intelligent member of society. Hmmm....

In fact, right now, I'm reading "Dragons of Eden" by Carl Sagan, even though I am "stoned" (moreso than ever before), so that I can see the inspiration for "Up From Dragons, co-authored by Carl Sagan's son, Dorian Sagan. Both of these are serious and legitimate scientific works on the evolution and development of human intelligence. Funny that a "stoner" is so interested in something so "un-stoner-like".

[jeffrey]

In my younger days, going back almost 30 years, I've done everything from pot to heroin. I have seen people that have acted violently on drugs, such as angel dust and crack. My girlfriend was murdered by someone high on crack back in 98. I've seen it change people. What people will do to get high. I also think alcohol is one of the worst drugs there is.

[Sunstone]

I'm not going to loose sleep over a meth producer receiving a seemingly excessive sentence, Dru. A marijuana grower? Yes. But not a meth producer.

[c0da]

I haven't killed or raped anyone. I haven't destroyed society. I haven't become a junkie and/or destroyed my life using drugs. I get good grades, I am mature and responsible, politically active, motivated (where I am interested, that is. Motivation is not applied to the propaganda I am taught in public school), and intelligent. I am the anti-stereotype of the "drug user". And none of the horrible things claimed about drug use are really existent. But we believe it anyway, because we are indoctrinated at a young age.

Just because you haven't done bad things on drugs, doesn't mean others won't.

My guess is that you are a moral, intelligent young man and even when on drugs, you would have a firm grasp of right and wrong. But the same can't be said for bad people, which there are a lot of. People who are bad in the first place who do drugs, are going to get worse when doped up.

I'm really not going to fret too much over this criminal getting locked up, even if it is an over the top sentence.

[michel]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

I'm not going to loose sleep over a meth producer receiving a seemingly excessive sentence, Dru. A marijuana grower? Yes. But not a meth producer.

What can I say ? I agree with Sunstone. The penalty does seem excessive; maybe the penalties for other crimes are too lenient though.

Originally Posted by jeffrey

Prison, period, does not work that well to deter drug crime. I believe the figure is around 80% of the prison population is due to, in one way or another, drugs. Most are re-offenders. There must be a better way.

I am sure you are right; do you have an alternative though?