The great argument of the pill testing campaign. Often I point out the failure of Australian community to condemn bad and illegal behaviour to the detriment of not just their children but their decency and community . Footballers caught not just taking drugs but supplying drugs all given free pass because their team might suffer. The media and leaders of the nation telling us that one slip should not impact a career in celebrity, oh the ALF, now three slips before you get your slap on the wrist. Violence against women ignored by players, supporters, media and leaders right up to top levels flags increases in crimes not just reported. Stigmas grow because people demand understanding in why it occurs and softening of penalties for expedience sake. I often point out Shorten but we can look at many others in many ways who in the past do so for far less. So since prohibition is failure then not only drug use needs addressing, but Murder, Rape, theft and even corruption. **** they are going to do it so we should just make it safe, perhaps Murderers should get a body who can get their victim in a place so nobody else may get hurt. Perhaps we should have the government fund carrying condoms for all because rapists are going to rape. Oh wait perhaps that should be a limit of 5 because they might get gang raped. After all Rapists might not have their own condoms. Maybe we supply thieves with guns because showing those planks of wood they come often kill. After all they are going to rob. Lets not even get close to the corruption thing as we see politicians ignore it in their own ranks… Honestly, such a stupid argument, they are going to do it anyway so prohibition doesn’t work. Sh*t people, didn’t the Royal commission into institutional rape of children not say anything to you??? It went on so long, because while it was prohibited it was ignored so it happened. The Royal commission into banks, it was prohibited but it was ignored. Prohibition doesn’t work if you ignore the act… it is that simple. So let us look at the policy. We have Greens morons pushing the decriminalisation of drugs because… oh it is too hard to stop. We now have a movement that thinks by testing drugs will have some impact on the culture they are creating with ignoring the outcomes of drug use for the better. Anybody who has witnessed or has some small experience of the impacts of drug use will tell you just how deluded this is. People who have to suffer and carry the mental health issues created from the use of cannabis which impacts the remainder of the lives not just of the drug user but the family, people who have no say in what these people call their choice. But HEY, they tried it and had no detrimental effects. Honestly, get your head out of the sand and examine the entire issue. Since the rise in prevalence of drug use the has been a direct increase in the mental health of Australia. The failures of the health department to address the mental health issue caused by drug abuse allows these so called do gooders to hide the truth in what they want so they can enjoy the mind altered state that causes havoc in families, grows mental health issues and reduces lives. Health budgets get cut, mental health takes the brunt. More people become homeless through the support being withdrawn from their mental health. And the list goes on. Just were does it end???
Working in the legal system, I noticed back in the early 80s I think it was, that the NSW Government (and probably other states as well) began to adopt the attitude that, rather than punish criminals, they would go the other way and attempt to rehabilitate the crims. Almost immediately, soft sentencing became the norm, and even the juvies were much more likely to be given many more slaps on the wrist than before. Judges and Magistrates became gutless, refusing to punish crims and began handing out gb bonds like they were going out of style. Of course, saving money by keeping the gaol population down was another reason for this, as wages and maintenance of gaols was very costly. And of course, the bleeding hearts lapped this up as everyone was getting a chance, rather than being incarcerated. Fast forward to today, and its still the same. Soft sentencing is still an issue, and crims seem to get parole or bail at the drop of a hat. Of course, if we have incompetent politicians who simply justify their existence by making a change just for the sake of making a change, nothing improves. Drugs cannot, and should never, ever be de-criminalised. We set the pattern right here on the Gold Coast by condoning schoolies, were they all get pissed, get into drugs, and generally complete their apprenticeship as pissheads. I have a family member who is 23 and was told by his Doctor that he had the liver of a 70 alcoholic because he was always smoking dope and getting pissed. 23...unbelievable.... The continual use of dope affects the growth of the brain and the decision making ability of the user. Footballers are a law to themselves and because of their value to their clubs will never be punished unless its an extreme case..that will never change.. Domestic violence and homelessness and mental health issues will get worse and worse as social unrest gets worse and worse. The availability of gambling and alcohol needs to be reduced dramatically, but that wont happen because of the revenue needed. I really dont know the answers...the entire joint under the surface is a freakin mess.. But as the naive australian will always say... She'll be right mate...whos going to win the footy tonite......
It is called the inconvienient truth. If we ignore it, it can’t be true. We are seeing it in our remote Aboriginal communities and the saddest most shameful treatment of women and children. If we ignore it, it can’t be true. The politicians know what must be done, but that truth is too much to acknowledge. They do not want to be accused of another stolen generation. Meanwhile dozens of children wake up every morning with some big sweaty alcohol fueled monster bearing down on them. Pisspoor gutless dogs! Inconvienient truth. Not a subject that the Latte set wish to talk about over their organic soy beverage in their sustainable bamboo reusable mugs. Life has always been cheap when you reside at the top. A fence built by wealth and affluence has always protected the eyes of the lucky from the hardships of the less fortunate.
Not long ago, the Qld government introduced an initiative in their schools where children were given breakfast when they arrived at school if they hadnt had any. I was then stunned to hear their Health Minister proudly boast that he hoped to double the number of schools in the coming year which received this benefit. I thought at the time a poor choice of words..wouldnt he want to reduce the number of kids arriving at school without a breakfast in their stomachs. Just another freakin politician seeking fame and glory for their deeds. Why do the kids arrive at school unfed....this topic wasnt even addressed. Just another bandaid solution to the underlying issue.....
This isn’t new Back in the day every kid got a carton of milk after morning parade. Only problem was the milk had been standing in the sun and the last thing you want to give a kid before trying to keep them awake in class was........
Yes, we had milk at recess delivered at about 10.55...but there is a big difference between a carton of milk at 11am and the need for a child to be given a meal before school starts because their family, due to one reason or another, hasnt given the child a breakfast...
The law has always been in catchup on the issue of recreational drugs. When I started my police career (1970) we had no legislation to use to control recreational drugs and were reduced to misapplying the Poisons Act until some hastily written legislation could be passed. The poor old pollies had no clue. They thought if they passed a law then it would solve the problem. Nope, just made it worse and spawned a huge criminal industry into the bargain. Mind you these are the same pollies (and police administrations) which for years denied that Australia had any organised crime problems. Heads up arses. The problem is public health. Abusing some substances such as alcohol, cannabis, opiates and the like, can result in serious health issues to individuals taking them. To deal with alcohol abuse we didn't prohibit it but we did regulate its use and also put in place education campaigns which informed people how to drink moderately to avoid harm. But when it came to cannabis and other substances we went straight to prohibition. Not smart. Now the pollies and police are stuck with an unworkable policy which is of their own making and which does three fourths of Sweet Fanny Adas to reduce harm to the public using them. Gladys is just the latest pollie to be trapped on the horns of this dilemma.
I agree with much of your comment, but you miss the point of failure of prohibition. Even here you point out that government went hastily to prohibition rather than moderation. Prohibition on its own does not work. IT matters nothing to what you point at, if you simply expect the law to regulate issues it will fail. We just had Royal commission into child abuse as it was major issue even though it is prohibited. It was allowed to happen due to the failure of people to stand up and deplore the activity. Community plays major part in making prohibition work. That is people condemning others. Cannabis, after much study during the early days was found to promote mental health issues. So it was decided that moderation would not work as it depends upon the user and their mental state to affect. The policy is only unworkable, because Australians don’t uphold decent values. We have comment of football players a law unto themselves. Screw that, if they act indecently, sack them never to return. Yes, one mistake should wreck their career, because they know it is wrong. IT isn’t a mistake if you know it is wrong and you still continue to do it. Stop allowing others to set a standard of action of YOUR children. The people need to stand up and condemn bad behaviour. Throw them to the gutter and if they stop acting as such, start work hard and prove they have learnt their lesson. ONLY THEN, give them another chance. Now, catch them behaving deplorably and everybody immediately states they have to give them another chance. You cannot blame the government for everything. if your not going to stand up for what is right then it is YOUR fault.
I have already stated that I have much experience with the mental health issues of Cannabis use. In fact while dealing with family issues in this matter I have come across many various depths of mental health issues form the use of cannabis which vary from light or moderate use to heavy use causing many different types of issues. Many of whom become homeless from both their mental state and cannabis use. Just from Cannabis… I also have come across the family issues of the use of heroin and cocaine. The Mental Health issues from such has been considerable but no more or less than what I had to deal with for 25 years. I have heard Canberra politicians trying to increase the amount of dope that one can have because it is not so bad. But we don’t want them driving, or working under the influence which can remain in the system for 2 weeks and detectable up to a month and half later. As I say, start enabling these practices, then prepare yourself to accept the increase in mental health issues, homeless and increase in domestic violence. Things do go hand in hand and using drugs to alter the mind state does have lasting effects on the mind, most not good. Talk moderation all you like. Talk trying to make things safe all you like. but since Mental health always suffers when the money runs out, just remember, your supporting the very issues that create the problems they don’t want to pay for.
Ive often wondered about the benefits or otherwise of mandatory sentencing. Perhaps the crims would have second thoughts about offending if they knew they were looking at guaranteed sentences if convicted. In this regard I noticed a footballer got off today with a gb bond...who woulda thought.. But I supposes when its all said and done, the young will always experiment with drugs... How do you stop it...educate them...better parenting...maybe they should make visits to the morgue compulsory in High School... If prohibition doesnt work...there has to be a plan B, and we need it pretty quick...
Yep. Portugal shows how it can be done- treating drug abuse as a health not criminal problem. The volume of time effort and resources poured into prohibition is staggering and shows little success.
Unfortunately, for prohibition to work the community needs to condemn it as well. As I said, the Royal commission into child abuse was because people turned a blind eye to child abuse. it has always been prohibited. I say unfortunately because it will take generations to change attitude to drugs. Just as we do with Alcohol, smoking and many other things. We need to condemn it from the start. That is to say, when a footballer gets caught with drug paraphernalia or using or even pretending to use ban them and renounce their comments. As I say, prove they are worthy of a second chance before even considering hearing them, just as it was in the past. Now it is oh poor boy, must have had a hard upbringing or too much pressure to play so we should excuse their digressions. Honestly, want a plan ‘B’ that protects the little darlings??? How about more funding for mental health care??? How about better health care practices for those mental health patients. Turning a blind eye to the scourge of Drugs will only end in tears. Enabling the drug use because the powers to be are too weak to inforce laws made to protect the people of the nation is no plan “b”. Your just putting off the damage to far greater cost to all about to placate that sense…
No blind eye, just reframing the issue from one of criminal justice to public health. And for sure mental health issues should be a very high priority for all governments, but that's where those blind eyes are turned (along with the brush for sweeping under the carpet).
Yeah well mandatory death sentence doesn't seem to work for Indonesia. If people think they can get away with it and the carrot is big enough.
Look this is where this problem is paramount. You suggest difference between the issues and I am pointing out they are hand in hand. The intention is prevent harm, you suggest that by ignoring (turning a blind eye) the use and make using safer it and focus more on the outcome the community will be better because “they are going to do it anyway” Yet doing it anyway is already causing prolonged mental health issue you (as a collective) ignore for the convenience of ignorance to the problems. I already point out when health funding becomes limited the FIRST area to be cut is mental health. I could point out the areas and the failures but that is counter intuitive to the discussion. The point is that you don’t see the result of those cuts and are happy to just say they were not in control of their faculties. So when it comes time to decide if one should be incarcerated or not we have to take into account the mental impairment at the time of the issue. But when you want to introduce policy which has direct and relevant impact on another area, many want to ignore the connection and pretend some deference. To suggest that enabling people to safely take a substance that has long term detrimental effects to their mental cognitive function will in fact make it safer is just stupid. If you want to ignore the reality of what the impacts of these things are and introduce policy to enable them, be prepared to accept the impacts of such by funding the areas which they impact. Take the hard measures to assess and evaluate if people should be in the community with their mental health issues. It is easy to disassociate yourself and your beliefs from the impacts but it just beggars belief when you turn a blind eye because decency has left the building… Yes, it is turning a blind eye. The media shows it all the time in full colour photos and the courts bow to the media pressure not to hold to account many who should not be walking in the streets today…
There it is. IF people think they can get away with it... This is why prohibition is a community issue and why turning a blind eye to such because it has nothing to do with you make it not work. As in continue to point out, the royal commissions we have is because people think they can get away with it. They do, because the community turns a blind eye to it. With little reward but great damage they get away with it and yet, still people turn a blind eye to it. 100 years of institutional child abuse yet nothing is done until now (we hope). And on it goes, because people turn a blind eye to it. Not an attack of the poster, but this makes very point I raise.
