Illegal Drugs: Everybody, Take A Chill Pill

Jeremy Roebuck, Inquirer Staff Writer"Homeowners sue Philly D.A. over seizure of property: Across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is a clear leader in the forfeiture front, accounting for nearly half of all money and property seized across the state between 2002 and 2012..

.. Philadelphia has brought in more than $64 million in seized property during the last decade - almost twice the amount raised by similar programs in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Los Angeles County combined."

A acquaintance of mine who served in Afghanistan said to me a few years ago when we were discussing torture. "Oh come on, who would you rather be tortured by? The good guys or the bad guys? This illegal drug issue is a whole lot like that. If Philly is exploiting this by legally stealing from someone I see little difference between those who are supposed to be the good guys from the bad guys.

Law enforcement was given certain tools to seize the property of those who patronize illegal drug dealers. It's a good way to cut off this crime at it's roots. However, if it should be proven true law enforcement itself is victimizing innocents, I see little difference between someone stealing whether it be legally or illegally. Stealing is stealing.

Which brings us to the constant drum beat of some for the legalization of drugs. They are deluded into believing this will somehow make both sides of this issue go away. How wrong could someone be!

First off people are busted for heroin, bath salts, crack, ecstasy, meth, synthetic marijuana and dozens of more substances. Why would anyone in their right mind want these drugs to become street legal? That's plain crazy. Do these drug legalization supporters not realize no matter what we'd make legal, dealers will move on the next. It's absolutely ludicrous that we can legalize them all and not expect users who become addicted not add even more to the growing crime problem. Desperate for a fix and not having the money will only worsen what already is.

What Needs To Be Done
(1) At this point marijuana has been proven less harmful then alcohol. Legalizing it will make a large chunk of this problem go away. Not only those who deal in it, but over zealous law enforcement as well.

(2) The real guilt lies with legislators who need to get off their asses and rewrite laws that will stop law enforcement from legally stealing peoples possessions.

(3) More importantly anyone who chooses to ignore what can happen by their illegal substance use need to wise the hell up. Don't do it in someone else's boat, house or car. Especially mom and pop's. It's obvious law enforcement doesn't give a shit when they do. In my book by legally stealing from someone who wasn't aware some jerk was using his/her property to party is just as big a jerk and does nothing to neither eliminate crime nor make any of us safer for it.

Good Job Smokie
Taking a parent's $300,000 home for their kid smoking weed on the lawn benefits no one. It all goes back to the basics every lawyer (future prosecutor) is trained to do in law school. Always sue or go after the one with money and don't waste your time on those without.