Pubdate: Wed, 02 Jul 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Terry Franklin
Page: 16
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n531/a04.html

POPE'S WRONG ON POT

It is useful for society to receive the preaching and writings of 
religious leaders, as well as that of other thinkers on matters of 
morality ("Lawmen side with pope against legalized weed," June 21). 
Ethical discussion is all too rare these days.

Pope Francis' words on drugs, however, go too far. He doesn't just 
lecture that they are bad. He says they should continue to remain 
illegal. A parallel with divorce might help. Divorce can be a bad 
thing in certain ways. It can mess up children. People feel hurt. 
Moralists may very well want to preach against it. And yet, I don't 
want it to be a crime.

When we make something a matter of criminal law, what we are 
authorizing is the state's use of force and violence against those we 
disagree with. In the pursuit of goodness, that goes too far. 
Hopefully, Massachusetts voters will get to decide this issue in two 
years with the planned initiative on ending marijuana prohibition.

- - Terry Franklin, Amherst
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom