US Drug Laws against the responsible use of recreational drugs represents Sharia Law in America.

My op-pent as set up there argument that the initial reasons that drugs were banned is due to Christian Morality. Mine is that it was about racial or racist reasons. Let us examine the two lines of thought. Christian Morality: When the United States was founded there was no drug or alcohol bans. In the 1830-1840 there began what is know as the Temperance movement. A Christian morally based movement for the illegalization of alcohol It took 90 years for this moment to get a federal law, the 18th amendment to the Constitution in 19. This law as written effected all citizens and its enforcement was not based on race lines. This was repealed in 1933 with the 21st amendment. The first federal anti-drug law as Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914. This act was enforced along race lines with white convictions solely for commercial distribution. This act did not Cannabis or hallucinogens what were still legal until the the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. I do agree there is a religious composition to the debate over the federal law. I just ague its a secondary reason. Keep these figures in mind. Alcohol - Took 114 years to outlaw federally for 13 years Most drugs- 138 years to outlaw federally Cannabis/hallucinogens – 194 years to outlaw federally Racial Reasons: In the early 1900's stories about Negroes under the influence of drugs murdering whites, degenerate Mexicans smoking marijuana, and "China-men" seducing white women with drugs began to appear in new papers. By 1909 the first federal law against opium was enacted. This only applied to people of Chinese origin. Total time -about 10 years only to for people of Chinese origin By 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914 was passed. Total time- around 20 years The civil right moment and the 60's counter culture went hand and hand. Many members of the civil right movement used the still legal drugs Cannabis and hallucinogens. The civil rights moment started about 1955. By 1970 the Controlled Substances Act was passed. Total time- 15 years Conclusion: When you look at the time lines for federal drug laws a few things become clear. Yes the was a religious argument. This argument went on for decades upon decades with out any federal laws being enacted. Then another argument got brought it to the mix, one based on race. Once that argument came into place every quickly drug laws were enacted. The only one that race card was not used was for alcohol and the law only lasted 13 years. My opponent makes this statement: “However, that statement would imply that such racist laws, thereafter; would only effect minorities being targeted and this is not the case. All races, white included have been swept up in US drug laws, making such laws not in theory inherently "racist".” Today they are but not went they were first enacted, with the exception the Controlled Substances Act. To state such laws are based on theological reasons would mean all races are targeted equally. Today we are way more politically correct that in the early 1900's. Drug use is about equal for all races; yet minorities face higher arrest rates, conviction rates, and sentence times than whites. SWAT teams target minorities for drugs 62% of the time. This shows that the laws were originally for raciest reasons and only a half hearted attempt has been made to make things more politically correct in today’s day and age. Until we as an American people admit the racist background of these laws we can not enact real change for the better, not matter our views on drugs. If your in favor of drugs being illegal that this admission can allow us to look at our enforcement of these laws. If you against such laws then it gives you a better standing to repeal such laws. I took this debate not to influence peoples views on drugs. I did it because I love history. Some times we as Americans have lied to our selves a bit to make the past seem more moral. The war on drugs is one times that even if it was the right thing to do we did it for the wrong reasons. http://www.vox.com... http://www.aclu.org... http://www.pbs.org... http://www.columbia.edu... http://www.dogonvillage.com...