Letter to My Elected Representative
March 28, 2006
To The Honorable John Boozman
On your website you express the following concern and intention:
I am committed to working with Arkansas' Congressional delegation and federal officials to get Arkansas a HIDTA designation so that we can tap into those resources to help us fight the spread of these deadly drugs.
Personally, I'd rather see my elected representatives tapping into whatever resources might help fight the spread of drug prohibition. Drug prohibition makes criminals out of otherwise law-abiding, peaceful, responsible, and productive citizens. It transforms the police into enemies of the citizenry and private property into booty to be plundered.
However, enforcement alone will not win this battle.
Amen.
We need a three-prong approach to solve this problem - education or demand reduction, strong punishments for offenders and rehabilitation of addicts.
It seems you've left out the most important prong, i.e. the recognition that most users of prohibited plants and chemicals use them responsibly and do not fit the mental image invoked by the the prejorative "drug addict."
People with genuine substance abuse problems should have access to treatment, but these people comprise a small minority of the population harmed by drug prohibition. The vast majority of people who choose to make use of prohibited substances do so responsibly, and they need to have their choices and their property rights as sovereign citizens respected. Any proposed "solution" that does not include this recognition and admission can only exacerbate the harms of this misguided "War on Drugs."
Can we find any common ground on this issue, Representative Boozman?
Sincerely,
Kevin M. O'Connor
To The Honorable John Boozman
On your website you express the following concern and intention:
I am committed to working with Arkansas' Congressional delegation and federal officials to get Arkansas a HIDTA designation so that we can tap into those resources to help us fight the spread of these deadly drugs.
Personally, I'd rather see my elected representatives tapping into whatever resources might help fight the spread of drug prohibition. Drug prohibition makes criminals out of otherwise law-abiding, peaceful, responsible, and productive citizens. It transforms the police into enemies of the citizenry and private property into booty to be plundered.
However, enforcement alone will not win this battle.
Amen.
We need a three-prong approach to solve this problem - education or demand reduction, strong punishments for offenders and rehabilitation of addicts.
It seems you've left out the most important prong, i.e. the recognition that most users of prohibited plants and chemicals use them responsibly and do not fit the mental image invoked by the the prejorative "drug addict."
People with genuine substance abuse problems should have access to treatment, but these people comprise a small minority of the population harmed by drug prohibition. The vast majority of people who choose to make use of prohibited substances do so responsibly, and they need to have their choices and their property rights as sovereign citizens respected. Any proposed "solution" that does not include this recognition and admission can only exacerbate the harms of this misguided "War on Drugs."
Can we find any common ground on this issue, Representative Boozman?
Sincerely,
Kevin M. O'Connor