Death Penalty for Drug Dealers is Dumb

So Trump is apparently going to outline some proposed changes to the laws that would allow for the death penalty for drug dealers. I have yet to read the exact language, as I fdont think it has been released.

However, I will take the Trump camp at their word and assume this wont be for low level dealers, but more for like kingpin types.

Even with this stipulation, I find this whole push to be ridiculous.

The first and less important reason is that as heinous as it is to push drugs, it is still not a crime worthy of the death penalty in my eyes. We have rapist, child molestors, killers and all other sorts of directly violent crimes being given soft sentences all of the time, so what sense does it make to use capital punishment for drug dealing.

I worry that this could lead to a situation where small time drug dealers are given harsher penalties too, perhaps not the death penalty but more prison time. I lean libertarian, and do not want the government having more control over the choices I make as long as they are not directly affecting other people.

But that point is complicated and nuanced, and I could go on all day explaining it.

The most significant reason Trump death penalty for dealers rhetoric is dumb is because it takes the conversation away from the bigger culprit; the pharmaceutical companies.

The greed of these companies to push dangerous pain medications on people, even children, with very little oversight is disgusting, and how many people first get involved in opiates. Although I think punishments should be enacted, to me the most important step is stopping further people from getting needlessly hooked on these drugs in the first place by passing laws and oversight these prescriptions.

One major step for that could be legalizing marijuana as a pain medication, that is not only effective, but far less addictive and dangerous than the opiates.

I feel like Trumps plan is just all geared toward driving an emotional response, and in addition to doing nothing to solve the root cause of much of the crisis, in fact could lead to worse problems by shifting that focus away.

a reply to: Grambler

Live by the deal, die by The Deal

I don't really have any love for criminals or big-time drug lords. I am mostly on the lawful-neutral side of things and just plain don't get involved in that crap. You won't see me crying.

I'll let the experts whine and moan about it though.

The "Threat" and "Discussion" might be enough for some 😎

yeah not a fan its a slippery slope that could then be used against pot or other low level drug offenses . why not just pass a law making it illegal to fill a prescription of more then a weeks amounts of opiod painkillers and make any one on them go to pain clinics so they can be monitored to make sure they dont fall into addiction?

admittedly im kind of biased in this against opiates as my recent ex would pop 6 morphine and 6 oxycodone pills as a binge and ignore her kids for days at a time

a reply to: Grambler


I can and do support it, pending wording and application. Your examples of where other heinous crimes aren't assigned capital punishment can be rebutted with they probably should be included as 'capital offenses'. JMO, though.

a reply to: Grambler

Only the kingpins huh?

Sounds like they want all out urban warfare against people who are well resourced for such wars.

What idiots.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Grambler


I can and do support it, pending wording and application. Your examples of where other heinous crimes aren't assigned capital punishment can be rebutted with they probably should be included as 'capital offenses'. JMO, though.

To me it seems to set a dangerous precedent that you can be executed for selling someone a product that they acknowledge can be bad for them.

Capital punishment should be reserved for crimes that are committed against a persons will and involved violence.

One thing we can be certain of, once the genie is out of the bottle, more non violent crimes like this will be included.

End the war on Drugs. End it.

End the war and most of the problems created because of it will begin to solve themselves.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Grambler


I can and do support it, pending wording and application. Your examples of where other heinous crimes aren't assigned capital punishment can be rebutted with they probably should be included as 'capital offenses'. JMO, though.

If enacted you will see police die in unprecedented numbers.

Cause and effect. People will not willingly surrender into a death penalty case. And you cannot police the unwilling.

wrong direction, legalize it and tax it

by by cartels

To be honest, nothing has worked so far to stop opioid abuse.
This can't possibly make it worse but I doubt it will help either.

a reply to: Grambler

All those big pharmaceutical industry CEOs must be crapping there breeks.

Just more dumb ass rhetoric from a dumb ass seeking attention.

If someone dies because of an overdose, it would need to be proved that that dealer was the only one supplying that person. If that could be done, then I could see that the death penalty could apply.

But what about when a person has a fatal reaction to Pharmaceuticals given by the doctor. Everyone has different enzyme quantities they make and a doctor does not know this. Should the doctor be charged with murder too if he doesn't recognize the symptoms? In the next ten years they will be uncovering how to identify this stuff. And most times a short term dose of medicine will not kill most people. But I know some people that died from reactions to medications and also one that died from the doctor reducing a medicine too fast that the woman was on for about five months and they were finally able to identify the problem. This happens, but I do not think doctors should be jailed either for this happening. They should be telling patients what to look for though.

A drug dealer cannot know what a drug is cut with and also is not aware what else a person is taking. So I agree that there should be a strong penalty if someone dies, but not the death penalty unless some pretty crappy stuff is going on and the dealers are aware of a problem. Life in prison I can see as mandatory in a case where someone died because of the med. Some people are very intolerant to iodine supplements, others are intolerant to salt. So if they die from eating an order of fries, should they be sentenced to death? Same with eggs or peanuts, some people can die from that chemistry.

a reply to: Grambler

Didn't he agree with Duterte's approach to drug dealing? Or was it that he didn't 'disagree' with it?

If he did, it's an indication of where his heart lies in relation to justice for drug dealers. If he didn't, I apologise profusely for the slur on his character.

I'm generally in favour of abandoning the 'war on drugs' and taking a different approach. In that sense, I also agree with your points about 'Big Pharma.' They have arguably been responsible for more deaths than the heroin trade in America. The damage to families through addictions and side-effects could also outweigh that of the illegal drugs trade.

Obviously, that doesn't mean I think illegal drugs are harmless or that Big Pharma is all evil. The main point I wanted to spell out is accountability. Dealers get life in prison and bad medicines get class actions and the chance to express remorse.

a reply to: Grambler

I would add one point. It rather obvious that the current levels of 'punishment' have been insufficient in stopping the insanity. Yes?

A few 'heads on a pike' , especially the higher leveled individuals as you cite, may be effective. If not, well those individuals won't be overly missed, will they?

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Grambler


I can and do support it, pending wording and application. Your examples of where other heinous crimes aren't assigned capital punishment can be rebutted with they probably should be included as 'capital offenses'. JMO, though.

So you support the war against drugs, by default the war against the people... You better hope you have picked the right side....

Seems to me that this drug war, started by Nixon, has always been used for political purposes. I won't go into those purposes, but we know some of them.

So why not end the war and look at the causes.

Most folks want to get high.

Ok.

So do that in safety, and carry on folks.

Someone gets out of line, and you apply the laws we have for DUI, drunk and disorderly, etc.

Someone has a problem with overuse, get them help, just like we do for booze.

No more war, and no more politics.

Enjoy your buzz responsibly.

The chilling part was where (in a recent speech) he cited China as his rationale for it.

Oh man. What a mess. I just crawled out of bed a few hours ago. I think I need to go back.

wonder if his plans include death penalty for the doctors and drug companies that recklessly push the opiates out the door or if it's just gonna be small time kids peddling pot that gets nabbed.

it's the healthcare industry that is getting them hooked more than anything else would be my guess.