Grrr
I accept that those evil bastards in those cases are doing exactly what what you fear, at least as the 1st stepping stone in the slippery slope.
Yes, I give a watered down lecture to my kids, basically giving your viewpoint.
And yes, the disparate sentences for crack VS powder coke seem hugely discriminatory. Do you have any direct experience with these drugs? While I am a proponent of no restriction for adults for anything, I gotta tell you, crack beats heroin (by FAR) as incredibly damaging, not just to an individual, but to blocks, neghborhoods, it's fucking incredible. It sweeps like wildfire.
I'd consider life imprisonment for an adult who gives a kid (choose a number, 18 it fine with me) crack. Really. If an adult gives it to someone else's kids, let the parent decide if they want the death penalty.
My TL grew up on a block of over 100 kids on it. NE philly. It was swarming with friendly activity. Of course, it was a bit isolated, as most enclaves are.
And then Grandma crack moved in. She has 2 daughters she was pimping out, and a nice little crack business going. Of course, no one knew that then.
Within a couple of years, the block was destroyed. Most of the kids were smoking crack. Lots of deaths. Yes, some jail as well, supporting the prison/industrial system.
I've done almost every drug (ya know, that people play with) known to man, at least in the 70s. I know a few isolated deaths in that time frame. I almost died. In each case, a lesson was learned, and it was unlikely that's other members of my druggie community would then follow the level of usage.
Crack doesn't work that way. Let be a reward for living until 18, but let it be controlled. If you still make the decision to use it, fine, but don't let it near the kids. Ok, off the drug rant.
The problem is that you either see a near term disaster (on the total political situation) that I don't, and are in the FUCK IT ALL, RISK EVERYTHING (and maybe you don't feel you are risking much at this point), and RESTART mode, or you are a serious idealistic long term thinker and don't care about the intense near term pain and death, since you feel the end result will simply be worth it.
Also, you are a competent survivalist. In the words of Rambo's colonel, you can eat things that will make a billy goat puke. So if a total shitstorm happens, you might actually end up on top. Which probably colors your perspective a bit.
Either way, I can't back your direction. My life is pretty damn good (not monetarily, just finally in a good place emotionally/family), which means my risk aversion goes up, and I'd rather ride out what I see, working from within, than nuking and rebuilding.
Edited by
crazy
Jan. 11, 2010, 07:12:27 AM EST
