Classical Values :: RINOs refuse to follow the herd

RINOs refuse to follow the herd

This week's RINO Sightings Carnival is hosted by Doug Mataconis at Below The Beltway.

My thanks to Doug for including Dennis's swimmingly good post.

A couple of posts especially caught my attention.

Stephen Littau offers an excellent argument against routine deployment of SWAT teams to serve routine search warrants, especially the use of murderous state violence against people whose non-violent crimes harm only themselves:

Selling or using drugs in or of itself is not a violent act which requires violent force. Violent force should only be used when one citizen is endangering the life, liberty, or property of a non-consenting other citizen. Even when force is required it should only be proportional to the threat against a non-consenting other citizen’s life, liberty, or property.

The war on drugs is not worth one more terrified family, one more wrongful imprisonment, or one more innocent life. So much of this misery could be avoided altogether if we as citizens and policy makers realized the human cost of the war on drugs and realized it was time to bring it to an end. So you don’t like drugs? Good, I don’t either! However deadly drugs are, they are nowhere near as dangerous as government actions to prevent their use. Whenever citizens can be regarded as collateral damage it is time to look and see if the cost of life is worth the price. From my perspective, we have already paid too heavy of a price. I tend to believe at least some 292 families would agree.

This steady erosion of the freedom which was once our birthright is a national disgrace. I know I've complained about this to the point that it must be tedious, but I think that from a purely moral perspective, the "war" on drugs is a grotesque national evil. Imprisoning people for the crime of self harm makes about as much sense as locking up the obese. The fact that military-style SWAT teams are being routinely deployed to hunt down these unfortunate losers only compounds the problem. People who thought the WACO and Ruby Ridge incidents were isolated should think again, as miniature versions are happening in every city every day. I'm sorry that all I can do is sit and write another blog post lamenting the sorry state of American freedom.

The problem is, the "Drug War" is supported by both parties, and it generates enormous wealth for Third World entrepreneurs and governments. The sheer numbers are mind-boggling, but relegalizing drugs in the United States would cause such a chaotic reduction in prices that governments (especially those run by drug criminals) could fall. For whatever reason, the collective decision is that it's less disruptive of the status quo to simply continue to wage war on American losers -- at the expense of American freedom. I don't know what it would take to change this situation.

Don Surber has an amusing update on the story of the picture of Jesus which caused such commotion in a West Virginia school. The picture has been stolen -- and now the ACLU can't decide whether to drop the lawsuit against it.

Hmmm...

Perhaps someone will phone in an anonymous tip that the stolen picture is being held for ransom. Then the authorities can send in a SWAT team, and maybe even the Hostage Rescue Team. That way, the ACLU could fight to defend Jesus against Gestapo tactics and improve their image.

There are more posts, of course -- so go read the Carnival.