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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!tekgds!charliep
From: charliep@tekgds.UUCP (Charles E. Perkins)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Larry's hateful article about drugs in net.flame
Message-ID: <1394@tekgds.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Sep-83 18:36:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekgds.1394
Posted: Mon Sep 19 18:36:38 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Sep-83 22:07:06 EDT
References: <2844@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 36

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	Bull manure, the only reason that scum like this sell drugs is that
	it makes them a lot of money!  If legalizing drugs is the ONLY way
	to put these people out of business, how do you explain the existance
	of organized crime in Nevada and Atlantic City.  After all, those
	people are supposed to leave when gambling is legalized, at least
	according to your logic.  Not on your life.  Show me one incident
	where scum didn't *increase* when vices were legalized.  The exis-
	tense of scum is one reason why harmful drugs should NOT be legalized.
		... (microsoft|ctvax|laidbak)!trsvax!ljw  (Larry J. West)

First of all, it takes a lot of imagination to classify drug users as scum
(you don't even know me!).  Second of all, even classifying drug vendors
as scum is a stupid generalization.  I think some people take a lot of
pride in selling only the finest marijuana, hashish, etc; moreover,
they spend time cleaning and preparing their goods just as any fine
retailer would.  Lastly, I would think that even the most hard-boiled
Nazi would compare drug regulation with alcohol and cigarette regulation
instead of gambling and prostitution.

I think, however, that there are already appropriate laws that could
be enforced to clean the "scum" out of gambling and prositution.
If those careers were not already so infested with criminal influences
before they were legalized, I believe the situation would be remarkably
different.  Why give the criminal element a leg to stand on?  Try to convince
anyone that there were more bootleggers after the Prohibition era than
during!

It seems obvious to me that your point about the the ominous increase of
"scum" can only be taken to mean that you wouold support the legislation
of (your) morality.  You scare me.

Charles Perkins
Logic Systems

PS. Some of my best friends are Larry's scum!