Rush on Syria

[ThaSaltCracka]

maybe he doesn't deserve Jail, but I am enjoying the fact that he got caught, and he has been exposed for the liar he is.

[Taxman]

[ QUOTE ]
However, since I don't believe addicts belong in jail, I have trouble with the notion that Russ or any other addict should serve jail time for their illegal personal use of drugs--regardless of the hypocrisy factor.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you. Drug addicts do not belong in jail unless they commit other crimes in addition to their habit. The problem is that Rush may have done exactly this in his interactions with his former maid. It's a very tough issue for me though and I am not sure exactly where I stand. Mostly it must simply be aknowledged that he is indeed a hypocrite.

[jokerswild]

He won't get to decide. The Judge and Jury will decide.

by the way, It was King George I thaat started the silly war on drugs. Nevetheless, Rush himself stated in public previously regading mostly Black Athletes, that upper class illegal drug users belong behind bars. His racism, however, is well documented.

[ThaSaltCracka]

by the way, It was King George I thaat started the silly war on drugs.
silly is the key word, the drug war is quite possibly the biggest failure in the history of the US government, although one could also make a case for the 9/11 information gaffe.

[Mano]

Our jails are full of drug addicts. Rush deserves no special treatment. The penalties he faces for his crimes should be the same as if you or I had comitted them - no more and no less. The fact that he is a hypocrytical ass should have no bearing on his trial.

[MMMMMM]

I agree that his hypocrisy should have no bearing on his sentence.

Now, do you think our jails should be full of drug addicts who have committed no other crime than to obtain and use drugs illegally? In other words, do you think illegal use of drugs should be a criminal offense punishable by incarceration?

[MMMMMM]

I think after he has been cured of his dependency (has he yet?), that he should devote some time to studying drug addiction and then work part-time in a community facility helping addicts. Given his fame and wealth, I think he could also easily devote some time to giving free speeches at universities and high schools about the evils of drug addiction based on his personal experience, and advising young people how not to get trapped in the first place.

I don't necessarily think he should be sentenced to do this and I think it would be more meaningful if he were to decide to do this on his own. However I would much prefer to see him given such a sentence than a sentence of jail time.

[Mano]

do you think illegal use of drugs should be a criminal offense

Probably not. I think in the long run we would all be better served if the money we currently spent to incarcerate drug addicts was used on treatment and rehabilitation. But, the fact of the matter is that drug use in our country is a criminal offense, and we should not use a double standard and put the poor inner city crack users in prison while sending affluent prescription drug addicts to the Betty Ford clinic. Equal treatment for everyone under the law - if the law sucks get it changed.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[MMMMMM]

"But, the fact of the matter is that drug use in our country is a criminal offense, and we should not use a double standard and put the poor inner city crack users in prison while sending affluent prescription drug addicts to the Betty Ford clinic. Equal treatment for everyone under the law - if the law sucks get it changed."

Hence my original question to jokerswild, asking whether he thinks all drug addicts belong in jail--or only those drug addicts who also happen to be talk show hosts with views he doesn't like. Thank you Mano for helping this subthread to come full circle and back to jokerswild (who has not yet answered the question).