Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.
The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this.
A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.
Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes... A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.
Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
Laws provide against injury from others; but not from ourselves.
Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marijuana.
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
Legalizing drugs would simultaneously reduce the amount of crime and raise the quality of law enforcement. Can you conceive of any other measure that would accomplish so much to promote law and order?
Instead of giving money to found colleges to promote learning, why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as good as the Prohibition one did, why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth.
Every friend of freedom... must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence.
On prohibiting anybody from learning anything: Why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth.
Whenever the offence inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigour of penal law is obliged to give way to the common feelings of mankind.
Congress should definitely consider decriminalizing possession of marijuana. We should concentrate on prosecuting the rapists and burglars who are a menace to society.
Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men.
If you say, "Would there were no wine" because of the drunkards, then you must say, going on by degrees, "Would there were no steel," because of the murderers, "Would there were no night," because of the thieves, "Would there were no light," because of the informers, and "Would there were no women," because of adultery.
Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.
or simply:
