Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site utcsstat.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsstat!laura
From: laura@utcsstat.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Re: drugs and criminals (unc.5883)
Message-ID: <1091@utcsstat.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 20-Sep-83 04:31:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsstat.1091
Posted: Tue Sep 20 04:31:15 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Sep-83 09:48:31 EDT
References: <5885@unc.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Toronto, Canada
Lines: 60

Libertarian here -- welcome to double speak --

from the OED

	criminal: n Person guilty of crime.

(so what is crime)

	crime: Act (usually grave offence) punishable by law; evil act; such 
	acts collectively;

Well, now we have something. There are grave offenses that are punishable
by law. it is probably reasonable to infer that they are punishable by
law because they are believed to be 'evil' acts.

Well, my brother is in jail for his drug offenses, so clearly somebody decided
that what he did was 'crime' and what he is is a 'criminal'. By definition,
anyone that is doing something that is punishable by law is a criminal.
So I think that Tim is off the hook.

However, what you seem to be objecting to is the 'evil' connotation of
'criminal'. Let us see what the OED has to say about evil.

	evil: bad, harmful, evil thing, sin.

Now we have all heard the arguments about how 'bad' and 'harmful' drugs
are. Whether or not you should believe them, it is reasonable to assume
that SOMEBODY does. Now what about 'sin'.

	sin: act of trangression against divine law or principles of morality.

Now we have a real problem here. i KNOW that my principles of morality
are not the ones that are seen across the tv screens of North America.
And I doubt that my concept of 'divine law' is very acceptable either.

Which can probably explain why I am in favour of the decriminalisation
of drugs -- i don't find drug abuse or drug dealing sinful. it also
sheds light on why other people may have a hard time understanding this,
for if they beleive that there is a divine law against drug use you
might expect them to be rather upset about the whole thing.

Laura Creighton
utzoo!utcsstat!laura

ps Libertarianism is hard work. Any sort of commitment to freedom is. You
   are forced to defend the right of other people to have their own
   beliefs even if you personally find them as stupid as some of the current
   lies about drugs. On the other hand you get to raise a big stink when
   they try to enforce their ideas upon you. The trade-off seems very much
   worth it to me. Also, don't expect a uniform Libertarian platform. The
   spectrum is wider than that of more traditional political parties. I
   am extreme-far-out-anarchist type Libertarian, there are others who
   would be comfortable with a democracy. My best friend was such a
   Libertarian. She actually was morally opposed to all drugs, also
   (so we aren't a bunch of drug-crazed loonies, folks, please) but
   she found government restrictions more morally repugnant. About the
   only thing i can get all Libertarians to agree on is that the dislike
   the current wisdom in govenments which treats human beings as mushrooms.

Laura