The Cost Of The War On Drugs Philosophy Essay

The Cost Of The War On Drugs Philosophy Essay The War on Drugs was declared on June 17, 1971 by President Nixon, claiming at a press conference that drugs and their abuse are, public enemy number one in the United States (Frontline). Since that time, the War on Drugs has gone on to become the longest and most costly war in American history (Duke 15). The ever increasing expenditures, perceived infringement of constitutional rights, misinformation campaigns, imprisonments, and the seeming futility of the whole endeavor are leading many to question whether the War on Drugs is justifiable. This war is being waged against a concept and not an enemy, which guarantees unlimited funding and an unlimited time period with which to fight it. Not only is it unethical for the government to specify what chemicals citizens can and cannot place into their own bodies, the massive resources funneled into this futile operation would greatly benefit other areas of human society. 87 million people over the age of twelve have used illegal drugs, making this war on a concept virtually a war against the citizens of the United States (Cole, par. 14). The majority of resources devoted to the war on drugs are for law enforcement purposes, ignoring the underlying problems of addiction within the consumer culture in which we live. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be a sorry state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny (Shulgin 28). Jack Cole is a retired New Jersey state police lieutenant who spent nearly fourteen years working as a narcotics officer. Over the course of his career, Jack evolved from a true believer in the War on Drugs into the co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition or LEAP. LEAP, as the name states, is an organization consisting of former police officers, judges, district attorneys, retired DEA, etc., who lobby for drug legalization (Cole, par. 1). Jack believes the War on Drugs is unjustly destroying millions of Americans lives every year and that the war itself is primarily responsible for many of the drug and drug related societal problems (par. 2). For example, by declaring certain drugs illegal one creates a black market and artificially inflates the price of these inherently non valuable products. Where there is demand there will be supply, especially for a ridiculous profit margin such as 17,000%, as Jack states (par. 7). These profits fund illegal organizations, such as Al Qaeda and organized crime, as well as contribute to local violence as seen in gang disputes over drug peddling territory (par. 7,20). Mr. Cole cites several compelling statistics. Tobacco kills 430,000 Americans per year, Alcohol 110,000, and all illegal drugs combined kill less than 12,000 people per year (par. 9). The US government spends 69 billion dollars per year in the War on Drugs and arrests 1.6 million on non-violent drug offenses (par. 9). Mr. Cole raises the valid question as to whether these monetary and human expenses are justified in combating illegal drugs while approximately 540,000 deaths are attributed yearly to legal alcohol and tobacco consumption (par. 9). A key question in considering the war on drugs is that of how much freedom an individual should have. John Stuart Mill addressed this question in his seminal work On Liberty. Mill was of the persuasion that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to prevent harm to others. His own good, whether physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant (LaFollette 290). By this definition, the notion of victimless crime is moot. With no victim, there is no crime. This is a major point of contention among many because humans do not live their lives in a vacuum, virtually every action affects someone else in some way. Another important aspect to consider is the notion of harm. Who exactly is being harmed by drug use? If it is the drug user that is harmed, according to Mills views we have no right to prevent a rational human being from performing this action, even if the action itself is irrational. If there is sufficient evidence that drug use directly harms others, that is a justifiable reason to prohibit societys actions. Many in favor of prohibition cite many ways in which drug use harms others, such as drug use increases crime, child abuse, spousal neglect, accidents, and non-productiveness. The problem though, is that drug use does not directly cause these harms, rather it increases the risk of these harms. Rape and murder are always wrong because they always harm someone else by definition. Drug use is more slippery, not every user harms others and no user always harms others. We must decide if the likelihood of a few users to sometimes harm others is justifiable reason to ban all drug use. This is much like the decision we have already made concerning the risk of gun ownership. James Q. Wilson is an academic political scientist and President Nixons appointed chairman for the National Advisory Council for Drug Abuse Prevention (NACDAP), the forerunner to the modern DEA. Wilson is a firm supporter of the drug war, arguing that the expenses that would be incurred from legalization far outweigh any expense of the current drug war (297). He claims that the notion of drug use being a victimless crime is absurd, that society is not, nor ever has been, composed of autonomous beings (297). In his view, drug use is wrong because it demoralizes people, is contrary to human goodness, and degrades society as a whole (297). Wilson is combining a form of cost-benefit analysis utilitarianism with his evaluation of the virtues of drug use. A counter to this point of view is seen in the writings of Thomas Szasz, a professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York. Szasz thinks that when the Declaration of Independence states all men, meaning rational adults, are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, this includes the liberty to self medicate with drugs (White 279). His view is reminiscent of Mills statement that Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign (LaFollette 290). The factors of addiction and danger are thought to have no bearing on the argument, that self harm is not a justifiable liberty limiting principle (White 279). Freedom is and always will be more valuable than safety. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, Those who can give up essential liberty to attain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety (ushistory.org). Speaking of liberty limiting principles, Szasz is speaking from a standpoint of the harm principle, or the idea that law may only rightly restrict an individuals actions if they directly harm another (Mackinnon 233). As mentioned previously, this originated with J.S. Mill. There are other liberty limiting principles to consider though, such as the social harm principle which claims that the law may prevent an individuals actions if they do harm to society itself (234). In a free market society, anything that erodes competition may be justly outlawed. This may partly provide reason for declaring marijuana illegal due to the fact that the top ten drug companies account for more than 50% of Fortune 500 profits and according to Dr. Claudia Jensen, a breast cancer specialist, 80% of prescription drugs could be replaced by cannabis (American Drug War). This would seriously erode the market because cannabis can be grown virtually anywhere as is seen today with its cultivation in areas rangi ng from backyards to bedroom closets. Another way in which drugs may violate the social harm principle is in their alleged degradation of the family. William J. Bennett, a former drug czar under the Bush Sr. administration, states that not only do drugs harm the users, but also hurt parents, they destroy families, they ruin friendships (Bender 52). If family structure is deemed to be an integral part of societal well being, this argument could stand up under the societal harm principle. There is a risk of committing the post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy if sufficient evidence of drug use directly harming the family unit is not produced. Viewing the subject of drugs through a deontological lens produces different ideas altogether on the subject. Firstly, the use of drugs for recreational purposes may very well be breaking Kants imperative not to use oneself as a means to an end. Second, the highest purpose of a human is to be a rational being and anything that impairs this ability must be inherently bad. Intoxication muddies ones ability to consider situations rationally, hampering ones ability to make a proper moral choice. One could also argue that drug use leading to addiction robs an individual of their autonomy, overriding their free will with a drive for consumption at all costs. Also, in relation to Kants maxim of universalizability, one could without contradiction will it to be a universal law that nobody injects heroin. I think this principle becomes a bit less clear when considering substances such as marijuana though. Virtue ethics are most famously associated with Aristotle and provide a refreshing perspective in relation to drug usage and its legislature. By not focusing on the act itself or the assumed consequences of the action, virtue ethics focuses on the character of the agent. Aristotle also does not distinguish between morality and politics because the two are intertwined (Christie 56). Politics are meant to populate society with citizens of good character (56). By employing the golden mean as mentioned in Aristotles Nichomachean Ethics, we can hope to arrive at a balance between two extremes. Additionally, Aristotle also takes into account contextual factors such as our willingness to do the right thing, to the right person, at the right time, and with the right motives. The two poles of our current situation in regard to drug usage are absolute prohibition and complete legalization. The associated virtues of these positions could be conservancy and liberalism. I think a strategy of legalization and control would best fit the situation as a golden mean. Can condoning drug use be a virtue though? It is virtuous to promote virtue and vicious to promote vice. Through prohibition we are greatly contributing to empires built on vice and adding to the already ample surplus of human suffering in the world. Maybe it is not condoning drug use, but having compassion for the suffering of others and seeking to minimize that suffering. In conclusion, after conducting my research I am still of the opinion that the War on Drugs is ethically wrong. I have learned many disturbing things involved with the prohibition of chemical substances. Prisons are being privatized, which is good for expense optimization but creates a profit motive to incarcerate people (American Drug War). Their stock is sold on wall street based on how many people are in jail (American Drug War). Almost half a million people are in prison or jail due to drug offenses (drugwarfacts.org). The private companies can also use inmates as private property to do work or produce goods the company profits from, which sounds a bit like slavery to me (American Drug War). The number of marijuana arrests is greater than the number of arrests for all violent crimes combined, meaning that if it were to be legalized, many powerful organizations would lose a great deal of money (skeptically.org). Many drugs were banned originally due to reasons of racism, empire bu ilding, and fear (Hooked). The CIA is alleged to have started the L.A. crack epidemic of the 1980s to finance Nicaraguan Contra efforts, with fairly compelling evidence (Webb). Money seems to control everything. The Partnership for a Drug Free Americas biggest funders were alcohol and tobacco companies until they were exposed, now they only accept from prescription drug manufacturers (Males par. 9). Marijuana is in the same DEA schedule as heroin, PCP, and methamphetamine, which is asinine (justice.gov). Cocaine is not physically addictive nor is MDMA (Eldredge 13). No one has ever died from a marijuana overdose (23). Alcohol withdrawal is on par with heroin, and both are awful (15). Drugs do not consume people, people consume drugs and sometimes allow them to take over. A peyote cactus, which has existed on this earth far longer than humans, is not an inherently bad thing yet it is a schedule I offense to grow one in your front yard. I do not think that drugs should be sold from vending machines on the street corner, but under prohibition they virtually are, except not from vending machines. By declaring these substances illegal we are ceding any amount of control we might be able to exert over a wide range of powerful and potentially dangerous chemicals. People will consume whether society says they can or not, in ever more innovative and industrious ways. The current era of synthetic drugs capable of being manufactured in a bathroom is due in part to prohibition of less harmful substances. It is cheaper and easier to make your own supply with stuff you bought from Walgreens and Home Depot. Seeking altered states of consciousness seems ingrained in the human ps yche. Our current efforts with this war against drugs have only served to amplify the negative effects drugs have on society. Legalization and control, much like we do with alcohol and tobacco, seems to me to be the golden mean of this situation. I do not think people should use heroin, but I also do not think I have a right to force them not to in the privacy of their own home nor that we are helping anyone by making it illegal. We should stop this madness now, there is an almost infinite variety of substances that exist now or are mere potentialities that will inebriate a human being. We are seeing this across America today with the rise in popularity of incense that has been sprayed with a synthetic cannabinoid agonist and sold for $20 a gram. We are like Don Quixote battling an enemy that does not exist while the real enemy is inside ourselves. If we devoted as many resources as we funnel into the drug war toward education, research, and endeavors to better understand ourselves and the world that surrounds us, society would without a doubt have a better tomorrow.

A Sympathetic Antonio in Hector Tobar’s The Tattooed Soldier

A Sympathetic Antonio in Hector Tobar's The Tattooed Soldier BY ant28 Sympathetic Antonio In Hector Tobar's novel, The Tattooed Soldier, many of the characters experience unpleasant situations. These include homelessness, Joblessness, and murder. These unpleasant situations lead to negativity in their lives, and this negativity can evoke feelings of sympathy. Of all the characters in Tobar's novel, I believe Antonio deserves the greatest amount of sympathy because he lives a life of constant despair and is often treated unfairly, which is like a trap from which he cannot escape.Antonio's wife and son, Elena and Carlos, are killed by Longoria. In the chapter, Fire Escape†, on page 183, it states â€Å"l did not bury my wife and child, but I can stand and seek vengeance, for them and for the many, for the anonymous dead†. â€Å"Now Antonio knew how Elena must have felt when she marched in the demonstrations. Now he could see why she was a revolutionary, he could understan d what had been a mystery before†. â€Å"This is how Elena felt, tall and strong. This is what she was trying to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. Elena knew that to march with the many was to stand tall.Elena loved me because she knew I could be a brave fghter† (Tobar 183). This shows that Antonio is upset because his wife Elena and his son Carlitos are killed. Elena had written a complaint letter to the government because people were dying due to the filthy water caused by the garbage that people dumped onto it. She requested that the changes should be made in a nearby city. She was also famous for making her points clear. The Guatemalan government sent a soldier named Longoria to kill Antonio and Elena for complaining to the fascist government and they found it to be a threat.Their family have been suspected of being informer immigrants and are being hunted down. Antonio escaped death by being at work when his family was killed. After the death of his wife, Antonio had no choice but to escape from there if he wanted to live. He ran away to Los Angeles, hoping for a better life. Instead, Just the opposite occurred. Antonio felt sad due to the fact he was facing many hardships and has difficulties living. In Los Angeles, Antonio saw poverty and despair everywhere he went He was poor, had no Job, and no home. He became homeless because he was an immigrant.Antonio was an immigrant who didn't know that much English. He used to be a middle class government worker in Guatemala. When Antonio came to Los Angeles, everything he knew became useless. It was like this for him since he couldn't communicate and he had to accept any Job that would help him earn money. He had to be in this situation if he did not want to be killed. He was living in a hotel but eventually he got kicked out of it and had to go live on the streets. In the chapter, â€Å"Fire Escape†, on page 183, it states that â€Å"Antonio would stay in Los Angeles and track down the tatto oed soldier and make him pay for his crimes.He would kill this man with his own hands† ( Tobar 183). In the chapter, Department of Sanitation, on page 228, it states that â€Å"l have been living this way, less than human, for longer than I can remember. I have been wearing the helmet of mourning and self-pity too long. I am living in the streets, under the starless sky. I am homeless† (Tobar 22 In the chapter, â€Å"Department ot Sanitation†, on page states that â€Å"there is a balance between us. We are opposites balancing a scale, we are mathematics. I am tall, he is short. I live under the sky, he lives under the roof.He as a girlfriend, I live alone. He has a Job, I do not. He is the killer, I am his victim. † (Tobar 229). In the chapter, Department of Sanitation, on page 232, â€Å"it also states â€Å"In a matter of moments their shelter had been reduced to a tidy patch of dirt. After the police left, after he had listened to their final warning to â€Å"stay off this property', Antonio went back to the lot and examined the ground, walking slowly in a growing spiral. There was nothing to be found but the bumpy soil beneath his feet, the crisscross of the bulldozer's long tracks, the wounds gouged by the shovel† (Tobar 32).These are the three ways it shows that he is facing poverty and despair. Homelessness is why Antonio became the man he is. Antonio felt as if he had really lost everything. He had lost the family he had, his life in Guatemala, and now his apartment in Los Angeles. Antonio felt that being on the streets downtown made him feel braver than he had ever felt because he made choices that he most likely would never have made if he lived in his old apartment in Los Angeles. Antonio lets out his anger on an elderly man who attempts to steal a hot plate pan from a large trash bag f their belongings from his old apartment.Antonio runs after the old man and punches him multiple times. â€Å"Antonio drove his f ist into the man's face, the nose cartilage snapping under his knuckles. Another punch this one like hammering nails into the ground, a clenched fist to the temple. A weak scream from the thief, and then one more punch, to the mouth†. He felt ashamed and embarrassed of what he did to the old man, unlike Longoria who feels more alive after his savage acts. Antonio eventually blames his actions on the surroundings. Antonio becomes determined to ill Longoria and begins to watch Longoria's every move.He has the desire to kill Longoria for many reasons and wants to get rid of him. Eventually, under many conditions, Antonio does manage to meet Frank, another homeless man who is an African American on the streets of Los Angeles. As they both move from place to place, they spot Longoria. This sighting evokes feelings of sadness in Antonio, and asks Frank to help him get revenge. Frank is hesitant at first to assist Antonio but then does because he hears that Longoria can be similar to a Nazi, and doesn't think again and offers to help.Just a few feet from the soldier, he raised the pipe in the air, lifting his arms and rotating his shoulders like a baseball pitcher in his windup, gathering a wave of strength in his muscles to kill the man once and for all, to rid the earth of him(Tobar 208). This is because Antonio came into his anger and tried to attack Longoria while he is at the park, playing chess with his friends. Antonio felt that he made his extinct baby and wife proud of him by doing this revenge. He also purchased a gun to ensure himself that he would take the life of Longoria and make no mistakes while doing so.

Who Else Is Lying to Us About Easy Argumentative for 6th Grade Essay Topics?

Who Else Is Lying to Us About Easy Argumentative for 6th Grade Essay Topics? The Unexposed Secret of Easy Argumentative for 6th Grade Essay Topics Anyway, your argumentative essay might be shown before the entire group as an illustration of great work. English language classes usually demand a lot of writing. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about an approaching deadline. Another reason is to observe how well students argue on unique views and demonstrate understanding of the studied subject. Bear in mind, even just a middle school student can craft an outstanding argumentative paper which will be interesting to anybody. Every family needs to have a pure disaster survival program. When you want an example written by means of a student check out our vast assortment of totally free student models. A minumum of one parent should work at home. Want to Know More About Easy Argumentative for 6th Grade Essay Topics? Ideally, you should practice as frequently as possible. Our crew of professional writers with the essential experience and writing skills is always prepared to fulfill your demands and exceed your expectations. Argumentative essays are also called position papers due to their justification of the side of the issue they are written in support of. You may see that the method is practically always the exact same. As an example, in college, you might be requested to compose a paper from the opposing viewpoint. You can be totally sure your paper is going to be delivered in time and be of the maximum quality. Both the most popular descriptive essay writing thoughts and senses, the reader to read it's an opportunity to analyze grammar par. As something you can be guaranteed to use essay topics for an opportunity to create an individual, or a high school narrative essay. It's important to select debatable argumentative essay topics since you need opposing points that you are able to counter to your own points. There are a few great topics to take into account when deciding on a topic for your argumentative essay. Textbooks ought to be free. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. Biology class normally needs an excellent words. College is for a high degree of study. School tests aren't effective. Young writers may try simple on-line citation generators which are normally at no charge. The intent of assigning an essay to middle school students is to make awareness and permit them to develop writing skills. To write a strong argumentative essay, they should begin by familiarizing themselves with some of the common, and often conflicting, positions on the research topic so that they can write an informed paper. Since 6th grade students will need to compose essays more frequently, they need to look up some topics ahead of time. Ruthless Easy Argumentative for 6th Grade Essay Topics Strategies Exploited If you like it is possible to look online and find one which you like. You may use different examples that can be found on the net at no cost. Each style differs in two ways. It's perfect if you're keen on this issue! So ensure that you decide on a subject, which has values in it. Quite frequently, the ideal topic is one which you truly care about, but you also will need to get well prepared to research it. You will likely find a different and amazing topic you will love to write about. Spam mail needs to be outlawed. Inspiration to make your own advertising or media argumentative essay topics isn't challenging to discover. Advertising and the media are now nearly inseparable from society for a whole.

Electrical Engineering And The Field Of Engineering

Electrical Engineering is a well-respected and growing field of engineering that centers on the practical application of electricity, electromagnetism and electronics. The field is of considerable necessity to modern life and infrastructure, having applications in many diverse branches of modern life. Some of these include telecommunications, energy and power distribution, transportation, manufacturing and consumer electronics. In this report we will go over the education and coursework requirements, fields of the industry, the work environment, salary, tools of the trade, and professional organizations of electrical engineers. According to Frederick Terman; Electrical Engineering as a discipline first appeared in the United States during the early 1880’s as classes in physics and energy flows intended to prepare students to enter the new and fast growing electrical manufacture industry. As the industry grew, EE education followed. Within ten years the discipline made a place for itself along the more classical engineering departments. An example of the industry’s adaptability to change would be the industry before and after the First World War. Before WWI, work in the industry was concentrated primarily on the distribution of power, building electric infrastructure using the properties of AC and DC circuits. Also before WWI, many students did not opt to take on graduate work. Instead, students typically would obtain a Bachelor’s of Science and learn practical skills inShow MoreRelatedElectrical Engineering And The Field Of Engineering Essay1855 Words   |  8 PagesScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the fourth is Finance, and fifth is Information Technology. Those I just listed are the five results from the career clusters activity we did in class. These clusters, I’m all interested in, but there is one that stands out to me and it’s Engineering. 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