“Prohibition in the US was a huge, miserable failure. During its 13-year run, beginning in 1920, Prohibition caused a massive rise in organized crime and actually increased alcohol consumption instead of curtail[ing] it.
After Prohibition’s repeal in 1933, kids didn’t start drinking in record numbers. Society didn’t collapse. Today, bathtub gin dealers don’t run amok on playgrounds; microbreweries don’t protect their turf with automatic weapons. Instead, a safe environment to drink was created when the government began regulating and taxing alcohol.
And yet, here we are in 2012, giving Prohibition another shot.”
~Former Governor Gary Johnson (R-NM) and current Libertarian Presidential candidate 2012
It’s time to end the prohibition on drugs.
This guy was a fantastically successful Republican Governor in New Mexico and he couldn’t even get to debate with the Republicans in 2012. I take that back – they let him debate once. They’d let Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain get on the stage to debate but not a successful 2 term Governor. But he’s pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-separation of church and state, doesn’t demagogue latinos, and pro-drug decriminalization. Those are all positions well outside the mainstream of the Republican party.
Of course he also favors school vouchers, vetoed 48% of the bills that went to his desk as Govenor (which isn’t necessarily bad), supports a flat tax (which would be a disaster) and still is very conservative in many other ways.
