drug legalization

Thank you 27671 for your politeness and courtesy it is appreciate, on with the debate. You said "… I don't believe the government has either the right nor the moral authority to prohibit what substances people put into their bodies for either medicinal or recreational or other purposes" Although this is your personal belief, not directly an argument for legalisation of Cannabis, and you have provided no evidence to support the claim or references, I will answer it. In a western democracy the government is elected by the people, and the authority of the government has been collectively been given by the people. Although minority or opposing groups may not appreciate the moral, political or educational stance of a particular government they do have authority and a right to govern. One of the most important aspects of a government is to keep people of the nation safe, so they also have a right to make laws in order to do this, and however imperfect have systems to monitor the impartiality and evaluate its effectiveness, Democracy (2010). The constitutions of the United States also give legal rights to both government and the people governed, Archives (2010). It should be noted that the federal government of the United States of America has sovereignty over the people and can dictate laws, Wikipedia (2010). Whether or not these laws are always effect is another debate. So with this evidence shows the government has the right and the moral authority that you state it does not have. You said "Practically, the war on drugs has been a dismal failure. Just like prohibitions on alcohol, gambling, prostitution, etc., they do not work. They push the activity underground and create opportunities for the criminal element and, likewise, opportunities for the corruption of police and other public officials. Generally, such laws are enforced inconsistently and to the detriment of the most vulnerable individuals in society." Although an argument to legalise something because of a lack outright success in tackling a problem is a poor one and there again are neither references nor evidence to back up your theories, I will respond. The word failure is a strong powerful word but is not appropriately used in Pro's argument. Regardless of whether or not something is efficient as it could be, this is not necessarily failure. Failure happens when the aim has been abandoned; it has been given up, surrendered, or not achieved the desired end. Free Dictionary (2010). I think it can be agreed that there are different "wars on drugs" and although there may be some programs that fail and are some that are currently losing strategically, the philosophical aim should remain. The general war on drugs, the illegal use and its negative effect on people and society is an on-going affair. The war on drugs is a right and just war. It is not about the rights of certain people to engage in drug use, it is about the protection of innocent people, children, society and our future. It is about disempowering gangs, criminals and even terrorist groups, YouTube (2010). It is about removing their power, propaganda, money, abusive empires, and this takes time, re-education and commitment, YouTube (2010a). The historic argument about the ineffectiveness of the prohibition of prostitution, alcohol and gambling is another debate; however the effectiveness of an ability to tackle a problem should not stop the aim. If you were going to die, suffer loss or be ineffective in protecting someone you loved would you not try? It could be argued that a hero is one who fights a noble cause regardless of success, Wordnet (2010). The addictive nature of drugs has not been mentioned but this is a huge factor in changing people's character, YouTube (2010b), YouTube (2010c) which devastates their lives, their families, YouTube (2010d) and the community. The addiction is often exploited to control the individual either intentionally or indirectly. Many drug addicts turn to theft, YouTube (2010e), which often can be violent, YouTube (2010e). Prostitution is a huge problem that affects mainly female, but also male addicts who often became prostitutes to pay for their habit. The argument that decriminalising drugs would in some way protect the vulnerable and limit criminal activity is a false one. In the UK drug addicts who are on special programs are legally prescribed methadone, and even heroin but this is often supplemented in addition to the illegal drugs addicts or even sold on by the drug without the programs knowledge. Although the abuse of the system does not happen all the time it is frequent. As a qualified medical professional I have witnessed these things first hand over several years and worked with addicts on a voluntary basis. So arguments about causing underground activity because drugs are illegal are not substantiated and even proved false in many instances. The argument that some legal drugs have health issues I consider to also be another debate. Illegal drugs do not merely cause physical, emotional and social health risks, they are also addictive. Aspirin is not addictive and in the UK the amount you can purchase is controlled, along with Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. In my previous round I have given numerous references to back my claims that Cannabis is dangerous, as I have already given references I will merely re-utter what I have already said on this matter. 1/ Cannabis causes cancer more than smoking tobacco 2/ Cannabis is often a precursor to more lethal and addictive drugs 3/ Cannabis has been proved to increase psychosis, severe mental health problems, mood swings, altered behaviour and delusions. 4/ Cannabis increase the risk of accidents whilst driving a vehicle. 5/ Cannabis reduce concentration and evidence shows increased brain damage by prolonged users. The argument that something that is legal (ie: pharmaceutical drug) with possible dangerous side effects gives an automatic right to make illegal drugs legal, is ill-informed and a faulty philosophical argument. Whilst I understand Pro's frustration that drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are not illegal, it should be noted that they are illegal for minors. Whether or not these drugs should be totally illegal or not is another debate. http://www.ait.org.tw... http://www.archives.gov... http://en.wikipedia.org... http://www.thefreedictionary.com... http://www.youtube.com... http://www.youtube.com... http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu... http://www.youtube.com... http://www.youtube.com... http://www.youtube.com... http://www.youtube.com... http://www.youtube.com...