'NOT MORALLY RIGHT'

With the recent proposals and ideas about the legalization of marijuana and
other illegal drugs, the reality of the issue needs to be addressed.

The foremost argument is that substances like marijuana, heroin and cocaine
would be better legalized, taxed and regulated by the government. In
today's society, we have countless agencies, laws and regulations against
these drugs; how can we "say yes" to these drugs when we have always heard
"say no"? What kind of an example are our teen-agers being shown when they
know the effects of such drugs, but are being told they can go down to the
local pharmacy and buy them?

Our society must take a step back and realize what it is doing.

The government sues tobacco companies for making addictive cigarettes that
harmed smokers, but now some wish to legalize more addictive substances.
The idea of the government regulating and taxing these drugs has been
introduced.

We do not live in a perfect society and there is no way that the ideology
behind this could work. In reality, the government will turn into a
street-corner drug dealer, addicting citizens, thus having even more
ability to control our lives.

Is that what we want for ourselves and our children? Are we ready, if
legalization occurs, for the government to take the responsibility and pay
the expenses for the increased crime rate, increased cases of addiction and
decreased morality?

Everything legal is not morally right.

Jared Fortune, Fresno

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