[Loser]

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
But also, in each case, there are end-user addicts who are not hurting anyone, don't necessarily want to hurt anyone, and pose no danger to society.

But they are, and though they might not want to, they do pose this danger.

For one thing, as I said, allowing this to circulate only encourages it's production. The new circulation possibilities that opened up with the internet caused a huge surge in the world of kiddie-porn. To stop it's circulation, you have to do everything you can not only to attack production, but also to attack the consumer base.

Secondly, the more this stuff goes unpunished, the more these addicts are allow to congregate (in reality or virtually), the more then feel that their urges and acts are acceptable. This occurs with any behavior. No matter how wrong something is, if you are around people who do it long enough, it won't seem as wrong. 'Long enough' is not that long if it's something you do to.

Finally, these people are not addicted to looking at pictures or movies of terrible acts, they are addicted to the 'kick', the rush they get off these things. They never get the same kick off something that they did when they saw it for the first time, so they are constantly searching for new materiel. Eventually, this leads a lot of them into new behaviors in the 'real world' to get their kicks. You show someone who molests other people's children but who does not have child pornography, and I'll show you a blind or luddite child molester.

Now, about the drugs. The same "acceptance and demand" agreement fits, only more so. Unlike pornography, which can be reproduced endlessly, these things are consumables, so the more demand, the more will be produced, the more extra will be produced, the more will end up in new places hurting new people, and the more money and power the drug lords will get.

Secondly, you don't go to jail for being addicted to crack. You go to jail for doing stupid things, whether you are addicted or not. I'm guessing you've never been busted for possession, so you might not know that people only get busted when they're doing something else wrong. Random drug checks don't occur as you're walking down the street. If someone wants to keep their drug use secret, it's real easy.

Typically, someone gets hit with some moving violation, domestic disturbance, or some such and the cop figures that they're on something. Sometimes he's right, sometimes he's not. But unless they're driving a car or on probation for something else stupid they did the cop can't demand a blood test. If they're in public, they get off with public intoxication, which is dumb enough on it's own. If it's in their house, nothing happens.

Now, the same thing can happen for possession. The cop has to have a reason to hassle them in the first place. If you don't want anyone to know you have drugs, don't act like a drug user. Don't dress like one. Don't talk like one. It's easy for the serious user. Don't do stupid things like getting in fights, shoplifting, or selling in public while your have your drugs on you.

The catch is, meth-, coke- and even pot-heads do the stupid stuff all the time. There is a connection between drug use and disorderly, uncivilized, law-breaking behavior. Of course, that same connection extends to alcohol, but again, you don't get busted for being drunk. You get busted for being drunk and doing something stupid.