That is the opposite of what I'm saying. Gun bans don't work. We banned them in the UK and our shootings have soared.
I've said this several times.
Same for knife bans.
And the same media that led a vicious hate campaign against gun owners, say we should legalise drugs because 'bans don't work'. How anyone believes banning something as cheap and portable as guns could work is beyond me.
BUT I can't have it both ways: I'd love to see no drugs in the world but have to admit they won't dissapear by banning them.
The Sock

Interesting postulate, but as I recall drugs, alchohol, and other forms of chemical imbibement were never cited as a fundamental right of being a US citizen. In fact, at one point, alchohol was specifically prohibited.

Nonetheless, I would say what is being done in our forests has less to do with the legalities of drug use, and more to do with corrupting the fiber of our society. The question isn't whether growing or using marijuana is okay, but that evil people are abusing and destroying a natural resource without any remuneration or accountability, while at the same time depriving the rest of us of the use and enjoyment of our public property. Whether any of us would legalize drug use or the growing/manufacturing of it is irrelevent to the real issue, which is one group of people wantonly trampling on the rights of others without consequence for purely economic reasons.

That, my friends, is what is most unacceptable about this situation. That is what we should be fighting against with all our effort.

I agree. As I always say 'I've never tried drugs because I don't like the taste; they taste of blood'. You are funding violent criminals by buying drugs. If you don't believe that tell your freindly neighbourhood pusher you are going to the cops with his name tomorrow. And good luck getting through the night...

I'm just pointing out that a lot of things can happen because of a ban. The banned item dissapearing isn't one of them.

And maybe alchohol isn't a fundamental right of being a US citizen - BUT IT SHOULD BE!
sorry my irish parentage showed for a moment there.. :-)
The Sock

Jeff, yours was a great post! Namely, things that should trigger a warning reflex if you come upon them in the woods, like hearing a generator where none should be heard.

However, if I ran away from garbage, I'd never get anywhere...

As ironraven inferred, this statement comes from nowhere and doesn;t express an opinion (unless it's meant to mask yours). It's also untrue in my experience. People who are "pro gun(?)" don;t fight a ban because "bans don;t work". THe fact that they don;t work is known and relatively well documented, and is a side issue. THey don;t want guns banned because our Constitution doesn;t give any governmental law-making entity any right to ban them or otherwise make them illegal. It's stupendously simple...

As I said before, murder, robbery, rape, etc., if they were made legal (and don;t forget hate-free bludgeoning), would make alot of people's lives "easier".....not their consciences, mind you, just their "lives". Of course, it would make alot more people's lives a tad more difficult, now wouldn;t it? Sometimes laws and rules become difficult to enforce, and people without conviction would like to see laws repealed, simply because they can't handle controversy, hard work, and dedication.

Drugs haven't disappeared because they're banned, but neither have murder or bank robbery.

Ah, ok. *mumbles around foot* Sorry about misunderstanding you.

And I agree, limited legalization with extensive taxation of certain non-alcoholic mind altering substances might have to be explored.

Its my understanding that cocaine, marijuana, and machine guns were all legal in the US pre-1930's or so and the crime rate and prison numbers were far lower than today. Very different societal conditions, sure. But doesn't that say something about the emphasis placed on personal responsibility?

Personal responsibility goes a long way and is sadly missing today. Imagine though, (repeating myself again), that murder, rape, and robbery were legal. Would personal responsibility satisfy us? I don;t think so.

We can always take the easy way out. After all.....it's easy.

Maybe legalizing/regulating/taxing prostitution will be next???

I don't see why it shouldn't be. You can't get much more of a "nanny state" than telling consenting adults what they can and can't do with their own bodies.