murder rate in the city

[ReefBlue]

Originally Posted by 96D

THE CITY OF BROTHERS

The crime rate is driven, whether people want to acknowledge it or not, heavily by demographics.

Then, when the police get involved, there are amazingly no witnesses.

So basically, you can say it is a lack of respect for this or that, but it is a lack of consequences.

[Eugene V. Debs]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Im all for it also but it wont happen....they will fight tooth and nail to try and take our firearms first before they even step foot on the legalization issue.

The big issue is money....people pay taxes on alcohol and cigarettes but how can they tax marijuana when you can grow it at home? How many of you grow tobacco at home or have a still? I know growing pot wouldnt be feasible if its legal because there wont be as much as a profit but people will still do it.

As far as the murder rate goes so be it....if people want to foolishly shoot each other let them....you dont hear of any law abiding citizen doing the shooting do you? The 2nd Amendment only applys to us....the law abiding armed citizen but the politicians fail to see that. They think that limiting our rights will preven crime and in the end that really wont work. Just look at the UK....40% rise in crime after their gun ban.

Criminals will still be well armed even after our rights are chipped away.

Believe me, if pot were legalized, the government would be raking in the revenues. Sure, some would still grow their own, but we live in a society of convenience. We spend billions upon billions for things just because they're convenient. I buy pre-cooked, wholly or partially processed or prepared foods, even when it's cheaper and healthier to cook fresh. I use paper plates when I could just be better about washing dishes. I buy Marlboros when I could save money and smoke less if I rolled my own. There will be PLENTY of people who would rather buy their joints from Phillip Morris than grow their own plants.

My prediction-- when we have a big economic crisis our drug policy will change, just like the Great Depression put the final nail in alcohol Prohibtion's coffin-- we (or at least the government) needed that black market money in the legal economy for revenue.

[MarcS]

They have to be careful of overtaxing it and creating a black market. We are already starting to see that with cigarettes. Frankly, i'm for legalization and no taxation.

[Eugene V. Debs]

Originally Posted by MarcS

They have to be careful of overtaxing it and creating a black market. We are already starting to see that with cigarettes. Frankly, i'm for legalization and no taxation.

Yeah, but without revenue, the government would have no incentive to decriminalize and it's unlikely the taxes would create enough of a black market to have people shooting each other down in the streets over it on a regular basis. Also, you could use the taxes to fund drug rehab programs.

However I think they should decriminalize tax or no tax. On principle, it is wrong to imprison people for what substances they choose to imbibe.

[TravisBickle]

What do I think about the murders? I think that at least 90% of those being killed are scumbags anyway, and it really doesn't matter to me. Good riddance. Hopefully these gang-banger homies (yes, even the white ones.... before you call me a racist...) will eventually kill each other to extinction so the rest of us can go about living our lives in peace.

[awkx]

I agree with what others have said about ending Prohibition. Sure, if we make alcohol legal again, then some irresponsible persons would be habitual drunkards and be a strain on society. However, many such persons still get their fix from the criminal underworld. Gangs make immense profits from illegal distribution of alcohol, and in return they visit all sorts of violence upon our cities. It's time to repeal the Constitutional amendment that allowed Congress to ban alcohol across the nation. Oops, fast-forward 80 years and replace "alcohol" with "marijuana". And oh yeah, we kinda forgot to amend the Constitution to authorize Congress to ban marijuana, but I guess the federal gov't doesn't really care about that old piece of paper anymore.

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

Originally Posted by er2006

I have given some thoought to what you said , I also spoke to co-workers and they all agree with you , It is probably the only way to stop the vilolence associated with teh drug culture , if you remove the financial incentive then it will stop most of the trouble , I doubt if iot will ever happen , the politicians like slogans over real solutions , The amount of lip service to the needs of the voters and their families will always take last place to the need for a politician to coin a catchy slogan to get reelected . and that is a problem that we will ned to overcome.
Your ideas have a lot of merit!

I'm not sure I can agree with your conclusions. To argue that legalizing/regulating drugs will fix the drug problem is like arguing that ATF regulations will lower gun crime rates. The government is to inefficient of a machine to actually be able to pull that off. The key is to punish REAL criminals (ie those who HURT/KILL/MIAM or VIOLATE THE RIGHTS of others) with sentences/punishments that are such to actually discourage repeat behavior. I say bring back the public stocks for misdemeanor offenses, and when we say we have capital punishment well then DAMN WELL MEAN IT!!! If you are convicted of a capitol offense and sentence to death, but live your whole life on death row you are still alive!!! It kind of negates the purpose. PUNISH THE PEOPLE WHO COMMIT THE CRIMES, NOT THE DRUGS, NOT THE GUNS, NOT ANY INANIMATE OBJECT. And for petes sake keep the GOVERNMENT out of it!!!! They will only cause more headaches than they are worth.

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

Another great idea might be for parents to actually try to stay together at least while the kids are at home...its a proven fact that 2 parent homes produce less criminals than single parent homes. Lets try to lower the out of wedlock birth rate, the divorce rate etc...these are all social problems that contribute to the "big govt mentality" as well as increased crime....guns sure havent proven to be part of the problem.

[96D]

Oh well, Let them kill each other off! Less my taxes have to pay for!!!!!!!!!!!

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

you wish...as do i...lol...i agree, let em kill each other...but all that results in is more government programs which cost us money and dont work.