OFF: "musicians made drug use look tempting?" ^_~ =koff=

[Ted Jackson jr. s2h2]

> From:          M Holmes <fofp at HOLYROOD.ED.AC.UK>
> There ya go. Sorry, I just bridle atbeing labelled a conservative. As a
> liberty advocate, I include the right of reasonable adults to have the
> freedom to defend themselves with the most convenient and effective
> technology should they so choose.

But you have to remember that over here, the political Right has
adopted the pro gun stance, lured by the money of the gun lobbies.
And, the Right is also the party that is against all the other
liberties that you [and I] advocate.  And of course, the extreme
Right over here is the party that advocates school prayer etc.  So,
it's almost impossible for a liberal person to come out pro-gun over
here, as there's too much accompanying baggage...


>
> > Worst thing about prohibition was that it actually became a
> > constitutional amendment!
>
> Yeah, Jefferson saw early on the danger of giving the Federal government
> power. That amendment was as much an abuse of the Constitution as the
> Marijuana Stamp Tax. Bluenoses and racists basically trod all over a
> noble experiment in liberty.

Yet the pro-gun people hide behind that very constitution, and hold
it to be some sort of sacred document.  Yet Jefferson envisioned the
constitution as an evolving document that should be reviewed and
revised on a regular basis.  Somewhere along the line, it became a
holy document...
>
> > And it took another amendment to repeal
> > it.
>
> Not quite my reading of the situation. A more or less conspiracy amongst
> the States had effectively repealed Prohibition almost nationwide before
> the 18th Amendment was repealed. I believe they planned a States
> Congress to force the issue if necessary?

Not exactly.  Most states were unable to enforce it.  Hell, my
mother's family were farmers and owned groves of apple trees.  They
made a shitload of cider back then, and shared it with their friends.
 Anyone with a bit of knowhow can make their own wine or cider.  The
states were reluctant to go after people and make criminals out of
decent citizens...sound familiar?  Yet nowadays they are only to
happy to make criminals out of people over weed.  I live in a state
with pretty much the harshest drug laws in the US!

But beyond the above, prohibition was killed when FDR took office.
He wisely realized that repeal would give the gov't some much-needed
income from regulation and taxation of alcohol, and he knew that a
country hard hit by the depression could use a little alcoholic
relief.  And, of course, the bars and liquor stores would generate
income and allow for further income taxes.  It really was a
no-brainer...

>
> Indeed so. You guys were founded by libertarians and colonised by
> puritans. They're still slugging it out in the abortion wars, the gun
> rights battles, and the War On Some Drugs.

But, as I said above, the pro-gun people also embrace the trashing of
just about every other liberty in favor of some sort of biblical
agenda that only they can comprehend...

 We can only root from the
> sidelines but I believe that your Constitution was one of the most
> important documents ever penned and if push came to shove, then I'd
> probably fight for it even if the US isn't my birthplace. Eris help us
> all if the puritans finally manage to trash it.

But remember, it's only a document, and was intended to be
flexible...

theo