2 men shot - confrontation at campground

2oldman wrote:

rfryer wrote:
And I think we’re too tolerant of them considering the damage they do to society, so I would make the consequences more severe than they are. Probably naïve in thinking that’s going to happen.

The only problem with making the consequences more severe, is when your own child ( or, in our case, grandchild) gets caught. Do you really want your son or daughter going to jail for felony pot-smoking?

I've even heard some espouse execution for drug users. I'm not saying that's what you're talking about, but making penalties for drugs more severe than murder or rape or armed robbery.. that's crazy.

At least with CO and WA relaxing the pot laws, I feel we're going to be making progress in being a bit more civilized about this, not simply punitive. Punishment hasn't worked too well.

Of course I wouldn’t want to see any young person go to jail on a felony charge for pot. I don’t think pot is harmless but no one really knows what the long term effects are on society in general and I’ll be long gone before there’s enough history to tell. I just tell my kids and grandkids they have a pretty pathetic life if they have to try to escape it by getting stoned. But I’m really talking about the harder drugs.

I agree wholeheartedly about the draconian punishment, but I think most of those comments come from people who are totally frustrated with the inability of society to deal with the problem. I’m thinking more along the lines of social ostrazation, similar to how racists are treated. No one likes be treated as if they’re a slug and worthless to society or possibly losing their career. Though the threat of jail might be an additional motivator.

As said, time will tell. And again I agree, just putting someone in the slammer will only “cure” some, the rest will revert right back to the old habits. So other measures are necessary. I’ve seen enough lives destroyed by drugs to conclude that our laissez faire system simply isn’t working and something else needs done. I just don’t know what it would take to break the back of the drug culture.