If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding!

Posted as a comment on Minh Pham's blog: United States Government

Wow! Horse meat? Can't say I'm that tempted to try it either, Minh. I honestly don't see much of a purpose in the production of horse meat. Don't we Americans already eat enough cows for our own good? I did a little searching on the internet and found an article on the topic. The USDA has only recently approved the production of horse meat after after a previous ban expired in 2011. While Obama has stated he does not approve the production of horse meat, not much has been done to reinstate the ban since its expiration. Slaughter houses are extending an interest in horses because they can be obtained relatively cheaply and do not usually have to be maintained or raised before slaughter, the highest cost is simply the transportation of the animals.

Want to know the saddest part of the whole ordeal? Unlike cows, who are generally raised strictly for meat production, a large number of these slaughtered horses come from various horse owners who have, for whatever reason, decided to have their horses killed (illness, injury, or economics). So not only are you partaking in an animal that could have been put to much better use, you are more than likely also partaking in what used to be someones beloved pet. I may be a meat eater, but it'll be a long while before I feel tempted to try any horse burgers.

War Never Changes

The war on drugs is a colossal failure. A recent article on CNN reports that, despite an increased amount of drug seizures, prices of all illicit substances continue to decrease while purity continues to increase. In the article, Ethan Nadelmann, director of the Drug Policy Alliance, makes this claim: "The punitive prohibitionist approach to global drug control has proven remarkably costly, ineffective and counterproductive... it has generated extraordinary levels of violence, crime, and corruption while failing to reduce the availability of psychoactive drugs." 

Eloquently put, if I do say so myself. I completely agree with Mr. Nadelmann. The war on drugs is a deep blemish on our country that is desperately in need of the balms of better alternatives. It is my firm belief that any and all illegal substances should be legalized and decriminalized. I can think of a plethora of reasons as to why this would be beneficial, but I'll focus on three main points to narrow my focus.

1) Eliminate the criminal drug market: If drugs were made legal, readily available, and taxable by the government it could potentially eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, unregulated drug trade. When substances are restricted their demand increases, the only people who profit from this are the illegal dealer. If the government could regulate the distribution and pricing of these drugs then the criminal market would not be able to compete. Drug users would no longer have to turn to shady, back-alley dealers to get their fix. Addicts would no longer need to turn to petty crimes to afford their habit. A simple trip to a drug store would replace a trip to the drug dealer and ultimately lead to a reduction in crime, which brings me to my next point...

2) Reduce prison overcrowding and free-up the courts: Prisons are overcrowded with drug offenders and the courts could get better use of their time dealing with more important issues. As of 2011, there were 1,341,804 imprisoned drug offenders and 3,971,319 adults on probation. The legalization of drugs would immediately reduce the strain on prisons and courts. Any previous drug offenders would be released and make more room for real criminals. The reduced burden would also mean reduced costs of prison operations and court costs, which would be a welcome boon to any tax paying citizen. This would also eliminate the potential of prisons creating hardened criminals out of hard drug users, which often is the case when non-violent people are placed in the violent prison system.

3) Focus on the treatment of addicts: Imprisoning non-violent drug addicts and abusers does nothing but perpetuate crime. Drug addiction is not criminal activity, it is a health condition that can be successfully treated through rehabilitation. If addicts were given a chance to enter health programs then the very root of the nation's drug problem could begin to get treated. Less imprisonment means less addicts. Portugal, for example, has managed to reduce drug addiction by half by offering drug offenders social and mental health services.

While not everyone will agree with my views on legalization, I think a majority can at least come to an agreement that the war on drugs has been a failure. There are better options than the system we currently have in place, no amount of forceful seizures or restrictions will ever stop the sale and distribution of illicit substances. If ever there was a point to reconsider one of our many "wars," that time should, and could, be now.