Re: Death by Drugs @BobRocket
I've given you an upvote because you posed a difficult and challenging question (and they are the best kind)
'I've given it some consideration and I can't see what harm it does a third party (me, in this instance). As far as I can see it does me, and anyone unrelated to those convicted, no harm at all. I'll happily admit I've missed your point, which is why I'm asking for clarification please.'
I'm going to restrict my response to the issues of the conviction of simple possession of a recreational drug
(and not to any harms caused by the current supply chain as these harms are derived from the proscription of possession).
There are two sorts of people, a) those who take drugs and b) those who don't. It is a personal choice which category people divide themselves into.
If a person from either category harms someone else at any time there are existing laws to exact justice
If a person from category a) possesses or takes a drug it harms no one else.
It is a discriminatory law based solely on prejudice (salient group membership)
If this was religion, the act of discrimination itself would be criminal and the victim would have recourse to justice.
A subset of category a) have convictions because of their personal choice and so have reduced equality of opportunity (eg. can't stand for election as a Police and Crime Commissioner, spent conviction or not).
Unfair discrimination is a corrupting influence and harms everyone, it is deemed bad in society for very good reason.
This is interesting
http://www.academia.edu/9108156/What_is_so_Bad_about_Discrimination
Biting the hand that feeds IT
