A Grave Decision Essay Research Paper A

A Grave Decision Essay, Research Paper

A Grave Decision

I come to you today not as a politician looking to say the right things or as an ex drug users looking to lecture you on the disastrous effects of drug use. But I do come to you today as a terribly concerned citizen of this great nation. As you are probably are aware of our government is pondering the idea and is leaning toward legalizing such illicit drugs as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. There are those in this nation on both sides of the spectrum in this great debate. Some believe that the government should not be able to control what we put in our bodies and others like myself believe that the legalization of street drugs could have irreversible repercussions.

For over the last fifty years drug use and abuse has been a huge problem in our society. Countless amounts of taxpayers dollars have been spent to combat the ever increasing drug problem. These tax dollars have gone towards such aids as drug rehabilitation, drug education and drug awareness. Although not overwhelming to a certain degree our efforts have worked. In 1988 it was estimated that there were 11 million people classified as addicted illicit drug users, currently that statistic is approximately five percent lower. And for those people who say that that money was not well spent, well what I have to say to that is if those billions of dollars saved just one person from the evils of drugs then to me it was worth it. Now after fighting so hard to wipe out drugs are we willing to take a step backwards, concede to the pressures of other and legalize drugs? I think not!

Many believe that legalizing drugs would have lead to benefits in our nation. One point, which they often bring up, is that it would lessen the rate of crime. They try to prove the fact that the legalization of drugs would deter future criminal acts such as robbery, murder and assaults. But the facts prove that most drug related are on the down in most American cities anyway, this is do to the fact that we are crunching down on pushers and dealers which goes back to the point of tax payers money and its benefits. These same people emphasize the contrasting aspects of prohibition. When the public realized that prohibition could not be enforced the law was repealed. From this, they try to infer the same of legalizing drugs. Saying that legalizing alcohol didn?t increase alcoholism, so why legalizing drugs increase drug abuse and addiction? I won?t argue that I?ll just straight out disprove it! In fact the percent of the population that is alcoholics is almost twelve percent higher then it was at the time of prohibition. On that note I can only imagine what the increase of drug use would be if it were to be legalized and become readily available and easily accessed in stores to all of the population. Those who have taken a stand for the legalization of drugs must be in a drugged up haze themselves or in total denial of the horrendous effects of drug abuse.

The reasons why drugs should not be legalized in my opinion are endless; I could sit here all day and talk about them. Legalizing drugs would increase their accessibility to not only current drug addicts, but it would increase accessibility to those who had never experienced drugs because of a variety of reasons such as the high prices or the fact of legal consequences. We as society would be feeding addicts, instead of trying to help them kick an addiction that will in the end lead to their eventual death. Is it not the job of the government to protect the people within its control? If this true, then why would they even consider doing such a grave action as legalizing drugs? Do are national leaders even know what they are considering doing? Do they realize what the society will be like when it is considered okay to go and have a joint or sniff a line of coke or do a hit of heroin in public? I just do not think the government and its supporters have done enough research into what effect this decision will have on our nation.

Have you people here, as individuals actually sat done and thought how a decision to legalize drugs will effect your livelihood? How will it be to walk down a street in your neighborhood and see people smoking pot around children and there?s not a damn thing you can do about it? Because you know that?s going to happen. How are you going to feel knowing that your child can go to any corner store and have access to a pack of marijuana joints? Well get used to it because it?s going to happen. How will you react the first time you see a commercial advertising not Camel Brand cigarettes, but Camel Brand marijuana or heroin? Well don?t be in shock because if drugs are legalized then this will happen. I guarantee. And that is why I stand firm in my belief that we must not let our government (and I stress our government) allow for such a tragedy to occur. If this law is passed we may see the fall of our great nation and see the power of drugs at its greatest height. There must be the education of drugs, not legalization. Before I leave today I say go out all of you, go out and write your congressman, write your governor, hell even go right to the top and write the president. I say use whatever peaceful means necessary to stop our government from making the grave mistake of legalizing drugs!