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
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “Myelin remodeling after treatment with psilocybin or MDMA can tune disrupted brain circuits: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not only…” Mar 4, 22:56
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “Cocaine addiction is elucidated at Michigan State University in experiments with mice: 4-Mar-2026 — When a cocaine addict relapses, it…” Mar 4, 22:37
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “Cannabis oil preparations were used by researchers to connect complex plant specific behaviorally active constituents pinpointing borneol as the most…” Feb 28, 21:46
Servetus on Inside the new terrorism of drug prohibition: “Keep on eye on your drink advises a Danish research group focusing on drugging cases in Denmark: 24-Feb-2026 — It…” Feb 28, 21:23
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “A new phone app has been developed for use by people whose housing situation is uncertain and who have problems…” Feb 28, 20:57
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “The munchies response after using marijuana has been verified experimentally in rats and humans at Washington States University: 19-Feb-2026 –…” Feb 19, 19:37
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “No DMT found in the brains of rats in study done in Denmark: 17-Feb-2026 – For decades, the idea that…” Feb 19, 19:18
Servetus on Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?: “Long term tea and coffee consumption is seen as reducing the risk of dementia: 9-Feb-2026 – …moderate consumption of caffeinated…” Feb 10, 19:45
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