With a federal (or any other) war on drugs, the government creates crime where there was none.Crimes associated with the black-market illicit drug trade are a consequence of prohibition coercively imposed by the government on an otherwise free people.
However, the essential immorality of prohibition does not absolve violent criminals of their responsibility for their crimes, in so far as they cause injury to others. Drug lords, in the private or public sector, do in fact cause harm to others through threats, intimidation, and force and compel many to live in an atmosphere of violence and fear. Those criminals must be held to account for violating another person’s individual rights regardless of the political errors that led to their underground trade. Innocent individuals, and others, are negatively effected by the criminal culture attending prohibition.
Dr. Mumpower’s personal opinion of drug abuse notwithstanding, in his official capacity he sees the drug problem primarily as a public safety issue and has taken active steps to address this aspect of the problem.
He has also over-reached in his zeal. I have complained about that and found Dr. Mumpower open to persuasion.
As a local public official he cannot repeal prohibition, but he can promote solutions to some crime problems resulting from making certain peaceable, voluntary personal behavior illegal. This is a tough position for a public official to be in; that is, personally opposing bad laws they are nonetheless sworn to uphold.
Dr. Mumpower shares Dr. Ron Paul’s view of the federal war on drugs: both believe that this war should be ended.
Godspeed, good doctors.
RELATED
Federal Drug War Rethought
Bob Barr | Huffington Post | September 10, 2008
"As both a U.S. Attorney and Member of Congress, I defended drug prohibition. But it has become increasingly clear to me, after much study, that our current strategy has not worked and will not work. The other candidates for president prefer not to address this issue, but ignoring the failure of existing policy exhibits both a poverty of thought and an absence of political courage. The federal government must turn the decision on drug policy back to the states and the citizens themselves..."
