Pubdate: Wed, 08 Jan 2003
Source: Rimbey Review (CN AB)
Copyright: Rimbey Review Ltd. 2003
Contact:  http://www.rimbeyreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2377
Author: Alan Randell

THE MEDIA'S TO BLAME, AS USUAL

Dear Editor,

Re Couple charged in Bentley bust, Dec. 18

Here we go again, yet another story in a seemingly endless stream of 
prohibitionist claptrap served up by our media to make us fear and/or 
despise those totally innocent souls who use or sell illegal drugs. As 
usual, the victims are not permitted to be heard and neither are those of 
us who oppose these ridiculous drug laws.

Let's get a few things straight about drugs.

First, no government has the right to punish anyone for ingesting anything, 
however harmful.

Second, the consequences of prohibition are far more harmful than anything 
preceeding it: More user deaths because of adulterated drugs, much more 
crime, explosions and fires in illegal drug labs, electricity thefts, 
accelerated spread of infectious diseases, skyrocketing law enforcement 
costs, police corruption, disrespect for the law, easier access for 
children (because drugs are often sold at school by classmates), more 
difficult for parents and children to communicate honestly about drugs, 
etc., etc.

Third, even if governments did have the right to ban harmful drugs, banning 
marijuana, heroin, etc. STILL makes no sense whatsoever because two of more 
harmful recreational drugs, alcohol and tobacco are not banned and 
marijuana is banned even though it is LESS harmful than either.

So if drugs aren't banned because they're harmful, why do we ban them? 
That's easy. It is to entertain the majority by ruining the lives of the 
minority. The key here is the cops can CHOOSE whom to arrest, whose door to 
burst through with guns drawn. Drug prohibition began at the beginning of 
the 20th century as a means of persecuting blacks (marijuana), Mexicans 
(marijuana) and Chinese (opium), but today the cops are happy to make use 
of this evil law to harass and control all those whose lifestyles they do 
not approve of. No doubt President Richard Nixon cranked up the level of 
the drug war some 30 years ago solely to exact his revenge against all 
those hippies who opposed the Vietnam war.

Why do we put up with this brutal and unjustifiable program?

BECAUSE THE MEDIA SUPPORT IT.

Why do the media support this Hitler-like program? Let us count the ways:

1. It provides many "exciting" news stories about various busts, murders 
and assaults as well as adrenaline-pumping accounts of cops battering down 
doors - usually in the poorer areas of our cities and towns.

2. It enables editors to wax poet (sic) as they pledge their undying 
support for these fascist-like horrors "to protect the children", taking 
care to omit the hell some children are thrust into when their parents are 
jailed for the "crime" of using or selling a drug the majority doesn't 
approve of.

3. It provides many opportunities to publish "moving" accounts of born 
again former drug users giving their just-say-no nonsense to a roomful of 
children and imploring the kids, "don't do what I did, do what I say" as 
they pocket speaking fees and expenses far in excess of what they could 
earn if they hadn't clambered aboard the taxpayer-funded drug war gravy train.

4. It provides many drug scare stories passed along by the cops who are 
anxious to keep prohibition going because it provides them with bigger 
budgets and more power - not to mention free drugs.

Was there ever a greater gift to the elite of the modern nation state to 
help them ride roughshod over the rights of their citizens than the mass 
media? I think not. Abraham Lincoln was mistaken. You don't have to fool 
all the people all the time in order to oppress the people. All that's 
required is for the majority to be fooled all the time, and sadly, once you 
have the media behind you, that task is child's play.

Alan Randell, Victoria, B.C.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom