Friday, March 9, 2012

Agree with Pat Robertson?

"I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol. I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded."
~ Pat Robertson, March 7, 2012              

There isn't much I've ever agreed with Pat Robertson on, so his recent statement about the failure of the war on drugs and the high social and penal costs on the American people came as a bit of a surprise to me and many others. But, he is right - the war on drugs has never and will never succeed. The costs enforcing the laws and locking up offenders are exorbitant and rising. And the damage to youthful offenders (and their families) far exceeds any benefits of the current "tough on crime" policy.

Perhaps Rev. Robertson's statement will open some Republican eyes and bring out the libertarian in all of us. We can empty some jail cells, improve people's lives, save and maybe even raise some tax dollars. Sounds like a win, win proposition to me.

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