[quote name='PhrostByte']My life is fine. I'm a straight A student and I never miss a day of work. Yes, I do drugs occasionally. So what? As long as I'm responsible why should it matter?[/quote]
Everything is fun and games until someone ODs...
It's a shame you can't have a crystal clear example of what can happen when you use drugs like that... Like, what happens when a friend ODs.
Oh, wait.
[quote name='joeltrae']
Nancy reagan had the right idea, except she should have went further and made the slogan "just say no or else". And at the same time illicit use should have been upgraded to a capital offense.
You are correct, moving violations SHOULD be criminalized. As they stand as civil offenses is far too lenient and not taken seriously by the public at large. I do believe the threat of 50 lashes with a rattan cane as punishment for driving violations would would have the effect of making our highways much safer. And yes, I am 100% in favor of those convicted of drunk driving to be executed also. I will go out on a limb here and say that I believe we would see at least a 50% reduction in drunk driving fatalities in the first year of implementation.[/quote]
That isn't a very compassionate way to look at things. I'm very much against drug use, and I choose not to drink (but I'll go to the bar -- Theres always a DD with me around)... This is because my father had a drug habit until the day he died (ironically, he died because of aprolonged toxic overdose level of a DOCTOR prescribed medication called
Seroquel). My dad might still be alive if not for his roomates, who were high on Meth at the time, and didn't call an ambulance until he had been passed out for who knows how long -- becuase they didn't want to get caught. Because of what my dad was like high -- a totally different, repellant person, I decided I would never use.
When he died, and most of the facts came out surrounding his death, I wanted to see blood. When I cooled down and thought about it, though I was more sad for the roomates that mad at them.
On the one hand, I was very angry once I learned what happend, and I wouldn't have been opposed to seeing them dead like my dad, but in killing someone who makes a monumental mistake like that -- and thats what it is ultimatly was for them: a mistake that may have cost my dad his life -- robs them of the chance to hit rock bottom, LEARN from their mistakes, and change their behavior and become a productive member of society. Then again, my dad's choices to a large degree put him IN the situation to begin with, so much of the blame for his death was on him too.
On one level, I see what you're talking about regarding swift, harsh punishment for crimes, but 'if you

up once, you die' was the law, we'd all be dead eventually. I believe this is the point of the three strikes laws.. if you repeat the same mistakes again and again, you don't show any desire to change, or remorse for one's actions -- those people should be put away because they make a continuing decision to be a persistant danger to society. On the other hand, if an arrogant kid, lets say he just got his licence, drinks and drives then kills someone... the reality of that situation may change their life forever -- I don't think that kid should be killed for his mistake, but absolutly should be punished.
I also believe this is the purpose of a trial, to take each crime based on its merrits, and determine the appropriate punishment based on those circumstances.