Xref: utzoo talk.politics.misc:41323 alt.drugs:2114
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!dmcanzi
From: dmcanzi@watserv1.waterloo.edu (David Canzi)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,alt.drugs
Subject: Re: Koop on drug testing in the workplace
Message-ID: <650@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Date: 17 Jan 90 17:20:53 GMT
References: <51002@bbn.COM> <5353@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Reply-To: dmcanzi@watserv1.waterloo.edu (David Canzi)
Distribution: na
Organization: Nattering Nabobs of Negativity.
Lines: 33

In article <5353@blake.acs.washington.edu> callisto@blake.acs.washington.edu (Finn) writes:
> I am beginning to think that the bill of rights and other legal provisions
>only apply when there is significant public pressure that they be applied.

Give that man a cigar.

A constitution is only a sheet of ink-stained paper, and sheets of
ink-stained paper have no power of enforcement.  People in power have
generally gone to a great deal of effort to get there -- you have to
suspect that a desire for power itself played a part in their
motivations, and if so, there is the danger that they will try to
circumvent the parts of constitutions, such as bills of rights, that
place limits on their power.  If the people are unwilling to resist
encroachments on their freedoms, they will lose them.

I have seen, in recent years, people who I formerly considered to be
quite moderate use immoderately angry language when referring to drug
*users* (not pushers), and it's this kind of anger that makes people
willing to break provisions of the Bill of Rights to *get* the ones
they hate.  Look around you -- society is full of groups motivated by
anger, hatred, or resentment, begging the government to censor
communications for them, to search and confiscate for them, and to
punish not only suspected criminals but their families and friends
*prior* to conviction.

The stimulation of anger, hatred, and resentment is the perfect tool
for getting a people to give away their freedoms.  The politics of
anger, hatred, and resentment are all around us.

We are in deep shit.

-- 
David Canzi