My wife's brother was a functioning heroine addict for over twenty years, he was also a freakin' genius and had a surveying job, and an engineering degree, worked for the City of Baltimore for over 10 years. Had a maintenance habit that nobody could ever tell he ever had, until that day.....
He got a batch of bad stuff and had his own sister have to get the super. to open his apt. after two days of being MIA.
Shot up in the bathroom, stumbled to his bed and collapsed, waste of a good man.
My Uncle Otto, was 6'4 and 205 lbs. Absolute great looking man with the brains to boot. While at his townhouse on a lake in Miami, an 11 year old boy flipped his kayak in an approaching T-storm, and had no PFD 50 feet from shore. As he was, Otto ran out jumped in and attempted to save him, since his friend showed him a great new "high". they both drowned. He was 27 years old.
My mother died of alcohol abuse at 58 years old. She was a former model in Miami, (before I was born), and was a Playboy Bunny at the Miami Beach Club, and raced boats until she got married. My sister and I literally had an "intervention" with court backing and after the 72 hour hold time she walked herself out, and was dead shortly there after, alone in her house, that my sister and I had to pack up and deal with.
I, unlike Bill Clinton, did inhale, and fought my own demons with different "illegal" substances, The birth of my son, and the Grace of God, gave me another chance. Yes, I still like beer, wine, and the occasional Mojito. But drugs and I can and will never meet again.
I don't want the gov't to be an enabler to the self destructive pattern that drugs inherently have, encountered personally, and would not wish on anyone. Yes, LEGAL drugs can and are abused everyday. Doctor shopping, etc,....Anna Nicole Smith, Rush Limbaugh, etc,...I know.
Anti-gun legislation is already too regulated; everything is, and it's getting worse. That too, is self destructive to a nation.
I will respectfully disagree with a legalization policy.and acknowledge that the War on Drugs was and is a failure. A legalization policy would be the same, ask Amsterdam. I also vehemently disagree, (as we both do), with any anti-gun policy.
The 2nd Amend isn't for the guns you like, it's for the one's you hate. Politicians, will never "get that", but I will fight for that.
Rant off. Probably typed off more than I should.
I will read the books by Elder and Koppel, I like Elder, he's a sharp guy.