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From: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.drugs,misc.legal,alt.flame
Subject: Re: Mescaline (Re: The War on Drugs-1 year old today)
Message-ID: <21516@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 29-Oct-87 23:18:24 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.21516
Posted: Thu Oct 29 23:18:24 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Oct-87 11:39:44 EST
References: <1136@puff.wisc.edu> <23455COK@PSUVMA> <591@auscso.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (James Wilbur Lewis)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 28
Keywords: Just say THANKS, MAN!
Xref: hoptoad alt.drugs:406 misc.legal:3178 alt.flame:410

In article <591@auscso.UUCP> johnm@auscso.UUCP (John B. Meaders, Jr.) writes:
>Why do you complain about drug laws?  If you want to see why we have
>them why don't you ride with the police in your city during a deep night
>shift in a "bad" part of town.  When you see the "dirtballs" who have anything
>to do with drugs you will understand why we have laws against them.

You must have missed all the articles explaining how these "dirtballs"
are being SUBSIDIZED by drug laws.  Or maybe you just wouldn't like these
"dirtballs" no matter what, and support drug laws as a method of keeping
them off the streets.  This is EXACTLY the attitude which resulted in
marijuana and opium laws; in those days, the "dirtballs" were blacks,
hispanics, and Asians who were perceived as the main users of the
drugs being banned.  

>Why do you need chemicals to have fun?  Can't you just "get high" on being
>alive.

Who says that drug users *need* chemicals to have fun?  One doesn't *need*
to eat filet mignon to survive, but it's nice now and then.  The same
goes for art, literature, sports...just about any non-survival-oriented
activity you care to name.  Yes, it's possible to "get high on being alive",
and I have the utmost respect for people who choose to lead their lives
that way.  On the other hand, you can get a hell of a lot higher on drugs. :-)

To quote Jerry Garcia: "How gray life would be without psychedelics!"

-- Jim Lewis
   U.C. Berkeley