RULE OVERLOAD

Editor:

Re: Solving The War On Drugs, Observer, June 25.

Once again Damon Faulkner nails it in his usual succinct manner.
Several drug enforcement officers would agree with him, the "war on
drugs" dragging on interminably, costing billions, many lives and
accomplishing nothing.

However, he needs to understand that laws intended for the public good
don't necessarily work out that way in the real world.

We live in a gun-paranoid society that has seen fit to criminalize
guns and firearms ownership. An unlicenced citizen apprehended with an
unregistered firearm is liable to a sentence of 10 years, far longer
than any meted out for drug offences.

Ask yourself which constitutes more of a threat and costs society more
lives and money - drugs or your neighbour's firearms? For that matter,
look at the cost to society because of alcohol related incidents.
Governments and businesses make a fortune from its sale. But
criminalizing alcohol as was done during the prohibition era didn't
solve the problem; making millions for the illegal trade in booze.

A couple of quotes for Damon and others to ponder. The only power any
government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there
aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things
to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without
breaking any laws. -Ayn Rand

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of it's victims may
be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons
than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may
sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those
who torment us for our own good will torment us without end ... for
they do so with the approval of their own conscience. -C.S. Lewis

If the mere passing of laws was sufficient to make society safe, then
with the number of laws on the books, we ought to be very safe. God
was content with 10. You cannot legislate morality or regulate human
behaviour with statutes. But, it does keep a lot of legal and judicial
people employed and gives law makers something to rant about between
elections.

Todd Birch

Quesnel