What is your political party

[Pyro as Bill]

Sqrl said:

Question 1:  If the primary concern with drug laws is the well-being of the populace as a whole is there any evidence that legalizing drugs would create additional problems beyond what we have now?

Question 2: Does the government have the right to make choices for an individual?

My answers:

1) As far as I can see the exact opposite has been the case in the past with prohibition as the primary example but also with the war on drugs itself which the former was a historic failure and the latter not much better.  

2) This is the crux of the matter for a lot of people (myself included).  If the government can tell you not to do drugs for your own sake or even in the larger sense for the good of the nation then where does that power end?  Couldn't they also tell you that you cannot have children because the population must be brought under control for "the common good"?  As soon as you make the choices of the individual subject to government approval in one area you open the line of reasoning that this would be acceptable in other areas and as the graph below illustrates the politicians are FAR more willing to take power than we are willing to give it.

I am vehemently opposed to doing drugs as a personal choice.  I despise them for what I have seen them do to friends and family both, but I don't presume that this gives me, the government, or anyone the power to make those choices for people.  Influence them, convince them not to, etc...but as soon as you take away a person's right to free will on the matter I have a serious problem with it.

Agree wholeheartedly. I'm still unsure how it would be brought into practice but it needs to be done. Marijuana shouldn't be too difficult and could be regulated like alcohol but the idea of a company profiting from selling heroin is kind of disturbing.