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SMH seeking 150 word entries on whether drugs should be legalized

Mr Blonde

Mr Blonde

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
13,811
Location
Brisbane, Australia
With a nod to Henry Lawson's popular tale of the same name, The Sun-Herald's weekly column, The Loaded Dog, is a forum for readers to debate an "explosive" subject each week.
Our topic this week: Should the government decriminalise drugs?
On Monday, The Sydney Morning Herald, in conjunction with Sydney Ideas, will host a public forum to consider drug prohibition in Australia. The panel will include a variety of perspectives on this challenging topic and examine whether the government should decriminalise drugs.

We invite entries of no more than 150 words. Please send to [email protected] by 10am on Friday and put "Should the government decriminalise drugs?" in the email subject field.
Please include your full name, email address and telephone number.
The best will be published in the Extra section of the new Sun-Herald on Sunday.
Rick Feneley, Editor
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Link.

As you can see from this, there is also a public forum on Monday that would be interesting to attend. Too bad I'm stuck in Brisbane.
 
I'd contribute but I'm concerned about the anonymity of this.
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You could just use one of those throwaway email accounts to send in your submission. I think they are just looking for ideas or talking points really.

poledriver said:
loadeddog wtf
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It's the name of the column, they talk about controversial issues or stories and put up reader's opinions.
 
150 words is kinda tight for such a complex social issue, but I might try making a contribution next week.
 
^
We invite entries of no more than 150 words. Please send to [email protected] by 10am on Friday and put "Should the government decriminalise drugs?" in the email subject field.
Click to expand...

Please include your full name, email address, telephone number and the suburb where you live.
The best will be published in the Extra section of the new Sun-Herald on Sunday.
Click to expand...

damn, i didn't include my full name, or my address or the suburb I live in. I guess my opinion wont be published then.
 
Spot on Crankinit!
I think this sort of thing is a bit of an 'act' by the media - and VERY unfair for anyone arguing 'for' to conclusively answer a question as fucking broad as 'should the gov decriminalise drugs' in just 150 words! Your doomed. Right from the get go, and thats how its supposed to be i reckon

I mean why cant the question be more like;

"Should the Government, after decades upon decades of un-successfully enforcing prohibition, begin looking at other alternatives to FAILURE, such as harm-minimisation/education strategies?"

I know im a bit negative and change does always have to start somewhere - but when was the last time papers like the SunHerald pushed for anything other than tougher scenteces for them drug crims eh. Hell the last time the Greens and Co tried to legalise weed it eventually ended up with what? You cant even buy a bong in Vic anymore FFS! Because Australia, while we do have well over 40 years of evidence and research clearly showing that banning bongs will in no way deter your children from trying pot, at least this way you know theyll be doing it through gatorade bottles stuffed with a garden hose and bluetack because thats far less harmful, right?
Sorry, got kinda stuck on wrong tanget there i think.. I did accidentally drop and smash my good glassy yesterday... i miss it soooo much :!:!:!:!
 
Yeah man I agree, that question definitely slants toward the negative. Nobody with an ounce of sense thinks the proper solution to the drug problem is to immediately start selling anything and everything at the local corner store. Going from one extreme to another isn't the answer.

It's kind of pointless arguing about this domestically anyway. Australia is a follower nation, always has been, when the change comes here, it'll be because the USA and Britain have already ended prohibition and Australia is jumping on the bandwagon. Our government won't take a step that the US and Britain don't take first.
 
I think I'll have a crack at this early next week too. Whole heartadly agree though, 150 words is very steep. Because in order to give any balanced view you, every point needs to be elaborated on.
Good to see so much positive things in the media later about drug legislation.
 
Done it and submitted it. I used a throw away account, name and phone number. Here's what i wrote:

Prohibition has failed. Drugs are very available despite the huge amounts of money spent on law enforcement, customs and the judicial system. Rather than decreasing supply and demand, prohibition has succeeded in stigmatising drug users, creating huge organised crime networks (internationally and in Australia) and has made drugs highly adulterated. Prohibition also means otherwise law abiding people can be given a criminal record or locked up for ingesting a substance. Prohibition is unfair and illogical.
It is time drug policy moved towards a more humane and sensible approach. Spend money on rehabilitation and education, not jail. Drug use is at worst a health issue, not a moral and legal issue. Policing should target people who commit violent crimes, not addicts and recreational users. Decriminalise or even legalise drugs, and move towards a policy that is likely to work. Treat drugs like alcohol and tobacco; tax it and educate users.
 
what drugs????//// said:
Spot on Crankinit!
I think this sort of thing is a bit of an 'act' by the media - and VERY unfair for anyone arguing 'for' to conclusively answer a question as fucking broad as 'should the gov decriminalise drugs' in just 150 words! Your doomed. Right from the get go, and thats how its supposed to be i reckon

I know im a bit negative and change does always have to start somewhere - but when was the last time papers like the SunHerald pushed for anything other than tougher scenteces for them drug crims eh. Hell the last time the Greens and Co tried to legalise weed it eventually ended up with what? You cant even buy a bong in Vic anymore FFS! Because Australia, while we do have well over 40 years of evidence and research clearly showing that banning bongs will in no way deter your children from trying pot, at least this way you know theyll be doing it through gatorade bottles stuffed with a garden hose and bluetack because thats far less harmful, right?
Click to expand...

Dude, you've written about 120 words as to why prohibition is ridiculous just there. sure its not perfect, but you can't do much in 150 words. I'm aure they just expect it to be short and pithy. Like all of the letters you see in the newspaper.

Anyway, I'm a bit surprised by how people are being negative about this. Its a step in the right direction. sure 150 words is not enough to produce a decent argument for or against. But I would argue that neither is 1000 or 2000 words.

If people aren't prepared ot have themselves heard and write even a little, well then we might as well admit defeat and stay on bluelight and bitch to each other about prohibition
 
^ nice one, psytaco. calm, reasoned and concise.
obviously this is a topic worthy of a dissertation, but newspapers are generally vehicles for oversimplified propaganda.
to get your voice heard, you've got to play the game their way. it's all about sound bytes and authoritative one-liners - people belive shit they read/hear in the press because it is presented with such certainty and simplicity.

good luck to everybody submitting a piece - it would be great to have a bluelighter's point of view represented in this. it might be a drop in the ocean of media, but every little bit counts when you're trying to turn the tide on 80 odd years of unjust drug laws.
 
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