Recreational Drugs should be Legalized in the United States of America

I must tell you, I used to side on the opposing view. Am I a traitor?.....No I've discovered and understand the philosophy of Liberty and Logic. Liberty allows me to rationalize my personal views of anti-drug with my political views of tolerance. You see ultimately this debate is philosophically and logically about liberty, so I can't stop discussing it. Logically you have to ask "What are the responsibilities and limits of mankind governing mankind? I believe a government that takes on the responsibility and rights of Liberty is the most logical system. There are certainly other systems like the USofA's current system, communism or a police state. So to make things simple there are two forms of political thought either Liberty or something else. Liberty lets drugs be legal, while something else criminalizes the use. To help illustrate the true meaning and philosophy of Liberty I would like to give a quote from Benjamin Franklin, a man that fully understood its definition and application, something we all have forgotten. "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin My Opponent says "Many drugs cause problems in a person's judgement. This may cause drug users to commit crimes while under the influence of the drug." If you will notice my opponent would like to purchase a little safety by giving up some liberty. He says MAY cause. This is the first violation of Liberty....Supposed Safety. This doesn't sound so bad until other people start using the government to provide them safety from "possible" not "actual" acts and everything just spirals out of control. "What luck for the rulers that men do not think." Adolf Hitler "The masses are far more likely to believe a big lie than several small ones."Adolf Hitler My Opponent says "He completely ignores that people's liberty....will INEVITABLY be violated. How do we know this? It's already happening (with alcohol and cigarettes)!" ........"The effects on innocents are not things that MIGHT happen, they WILL,...." At this point in the debate there is no MAY about it now it is INEVITABLY and WILL happen. The only thing that opposes liberty is fear. Attempts to criminalize and regulate drugs and alcohol has repeatedly failed as my opponent has admitted with alcohol and cigarettes. This is the only way to trick people into being overly regulated; lie to them about the inevitable disaster you are saving them from. Even if you are giving them a little safety, if it cost you liberty you deserve neither. The only thing a government can do is criminalize and enforce the actual acts against Liberty. For Example if someone gets drunk, don't do anything but if they rape someone then prosecute them. This is the same argument with guns.... If someone has a Gun, don't do anything but if they kill someone prosecute them. All attempts at regulating choices simply fail, as my opponent has already accepted with tobacco and alcohol. MY OPPONENT SAYS "Not going to school is already illegal (!!!) and an increased criminal activity of the non-educated was one of the many reasons that the law was passed."....... "we should ban these[Cigarettes and Alcohol] in order to protect society and the growing and sensitive bodies of kids, but we can't. This is because people would react." This is the final breath of liberty, as my opponent has accepted, when we regulate recreational drugs we now must apply that same logic to other aspects such as education, cigarettes and alcohol. Soon it will be over eating and lack of exercise, laugh if you will, but its the logical conclusion. Imagine if our speech and press was regulated. My opponent would argue all the possible bad things folks would say if they had freedom to say what they wanted.....and certainly their are many things that ought not to be said but shall we regulate that too? Think Logic. Someday someone's going to ask "Why are recreational drugs illegal but not alcohol?" The only answer will be make them both legal or both illegal otherwise your in a permanent state of illogical laws. Illogical laws will eventually be changed to align themselves with logic or the republic will fail. Then someone will ask "Why are alcohol and drugs illegal but over eating isn't? I mean it is an enormous burden on societies health cost and people die all the time in car crashes because someone had a heart attack and obesity kills more people than all other things combined, blah blah blah.??" the best link ever! http://www.cato.org...