DRUG LEGALIZATION IS AN AMERICAN RIGHT

Do you own your body? The answer is no if one considers drug
prohibition laws. Ownership guarantees the right to full use, and yes,
even abuse, of that which is owned.

Self-ownership is the basis of all property; how can one claim a right
to any of the products of his labor without first having a right to
the self that made those things possible?

The government denies individuals their rights in the name of keeping
people "safe" from the adverse effects of drugs. When it comes to your
body, Big Brother knows best.

Few people recall that the government in this country was not
established to keep you "safe" from every bogeyman that exists in the
world but to protect personal liberty. Thus, drug prohibition flies
directly in the face of the spirit of the American Revolution.

As Benjamin Franklin said, "Those who sacrifice liberty for safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." Drug prohibition has given this
country exactly what it deserves. Wars are fought in our streets over
substances that could be easily produced by business and sold by
pharmacists.

Terrorists use American drug prohibition to pile up money because of
the hyper-inflated price generated on the American black market. Kids
die from using impure drugs. Millions of nonviolent individuals are
jailed at the cost of billions of dollars.

Lives are ruined. Men and women are shot in property grabbing raids.
The government kills in order to keep you "safe," and the only
solution the bureaucrats offer is more of the same.

It is time for students to act as leaders and stand up in righteous
indignation against this gross injustice. Bush and Kerry are both
advocates of the status quo; if you agree with me, a vote for them is
a vote for continued tyranny.

Chris Reardon,

Senior, Political Science