CURE IS WORSE THAN THE DISEASE

As the local Libertarian Party Chairman I want to expand on a Feb 6th Destin
Log article. As the article stated, the LP does believe the "war on drugs"
isn't working but it is important to understand why we have this belief.

Drug Prohibition, like alcohol Prohibition, was based on the assumption that
Americans are incapable of using good judgment as to what substances they
can put into their bodies.

As a result of this flawed policy, Americans have lost Constitutional
protections in order to "save us" from the government created "drug" menace.
Freedom from "unreasonable search and seizure" has been significantly
diminished, financial privacy is non-existent, our justice system is
permeated with "snitches", employers/schools require embarrassing drug
tests, unreasonable gun laws have been enacted because of drug violence,
wiretapping of all Americans has been expanded and prison populations
($30,000 a head) have grown phenomenally because of non-violent drug
offenders. In addition the billion dollar drug empires continue to expand
and spew more violence and corruption.

Libertarians believe the "cure is worse than the disease." If drug ABUSE is
really the problem then it should be treated like, say alcohol abuse. If a
person commits a REAL crime under the influence of alcohol or drugs then
"throw the book at them," but if they are hurting no one but themselves,
don't waste 50% of our law enforcement budget arresting and imprisoning
them. Ending Prohibition II, would result in less crime, much less
government/police corruption, revenues from LEGAL drug sales, better
protection of young people (it is now easier to get drugs than alcohol for
most teens), help for drug abusers, emptying of prisons of non-violent
offenders and justification for a massive reduction in government drug
enforcement spending. Decriminalizing drugs may even provide law
enforcement with the time to prosecute VIOLENT crime and help keep DANGEROUS
criminals in prison. Hopefully a decent Congress would repeal the intrusive
drug related laws that have taken away so much of our liberty. I hope this
helps clarify this important issue.

Dan Scupin, Chairman Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County