Let’s take a look at it in basic terms. First — essentially all the violence, from both the drug warriors and the drug traffickers, is a direct result of prohibition. It is a major side effect of the drug war. What is the purpose of the drug war? Well, theoretically, its purpose is to prevent people from using certain drugs. Marijuana, mostly, since that’s the most popular illicit drug. And it’s to prevent people from voluntarily using marijuana (marijuana isn’t like rape or murder or theft — it isn’t done to a person by someone else — it’s a choice).
[Now, forget for a moment the fact that it doesn’t actually work. Assume it does.]
So when you killed Kathryn Johnston, that was to prevent someone from voluntarily smoking marijuana. In other words, you cared more about the supposed harm to a drug user who was doing it to himself, than the life of an innocent person.
How morally bankrupt do you have to be to make such a choice? How many people are you willing to kill to accomplish your goal? How many innocent deaths do you accept in order to stop someone from smoking pot and hanging out on Pete’s couch? If one innocent person dies and 10 people stop smoking pot, is that a good trade-off? How many lives and families are you willing to destroy to stop someone from voluntarily taking heroin?
And horror of horrors, what if (as most certainly is the case), all your killing of innocent people didn’t really have a significant impact on drug use or abuse. When you realize that you have killed these people for nothing… what will you tell their children?
- DrugWarRant.com, the longest running single-issue blog devoted to drug policy
Join us on Pete's couch.
Send comments, tips,
and suggestions to: Recent Comments
Shane from Slidell on Marijuana and medieval Muslim drug wars: “Let us not forget that the dictator who ruined Equatorial Guinea–Francisco Macias Nguema–was also an iboga addict who was severely…” Sep 16, 20:34
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “Brain region discovered that controls compulsive drinking: 12-Sep-2025 — La Jolla, CA—What compels someone to keep engaging in alcohol use,…” Sep 13, 23:30
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “Marijuana helps people get a more restful night’s sleep: 27-Aug-2025 — About one out of every three people has some…” Aug 29, 21:22
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “Corrected Link: AAAS Public Science News Release: Rewiring addiction with designer proteins–New treatment approach could disrupt the cycle of addiction…” Aug 29, 21:03
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “Bioengineered proteins show promise in creating gene therapies for cocaine addiction: 27-Aug-2025 — A new biochemical approach to combat addiction,…” Aug 29, 20:08
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “Psychedelics research pioneer Dr Harriet de Wit is featured in an interview: 26-Aug-2025 — CHICAGO, Illinois, USA — In a…” Aug 29, 00:12
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “Prosecuting women for drug use during their pregnancy undergoes a critical review at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public…” Aug 20, 21:40
Servetus on Marijuana and the American drug rehab industry: “What if your dog ingests cocaine? Protect pets from future accidents: 17-AUG-2025–Dr Jake Johnson is a cardiology resident at North…” Aug 18, 21:55
Pages
- About
- Articles
- A Day at the Museum
- A story for Thanksgiving (Isidro and Teresa Aviles)
- Andrea Barthwell, caught red-handed
- Andrea Barthwell, Snake Oil Salesman
- Bong Hits 4 Jesus – Supreme Court Case
- DEA Bad Girl Michele Leonhart
- Deep Thoughts About the Drug War
- Drug War Victims
- Drug War Videos
- Drug WarRant Joins SOPA, PIPA Protest
- Hammer Down, Pop Up
- If I were Contrarian-King of the United States
- Increase in Burger Abuse Seen
- Irvin Rosenfeld and the Compassionate IND — Medical Marijuana Proof and Government Lies
- Karen Tandy and the DEA (Can Congress Get a Clue?)
- Len Bias – the death that ushered in two decades of destruction
- Mother and Son
- Patriot Act, Victory Act, Despot Act
- Petition for Correction under the ONDCP Information Quality Guidelines
- Raich v. Ashcroft
- Rand and American Enterprise Institute Studies – Indictments of Federal Drug Policy
- the Drug Czar is Required by Law to Lie
- Treatment Statistics
- Who’s Who in Drug Prohibition
- Why is Marijuana Illegal?
Archives
Authors