The War on Drugs (Opposing Viewpoints)

I hope no one is starting to suspect that I've been bribed by Greenhaven Press. Because I'm about to give praise to yet another book of theirs. And not because they've paid me (which they haven't), but simply because it's a book deserving its praise. It's been more than thirty years since Greenhaven Press started their series Opposing Viewpoints, and so far more than ninety different volumes have been published. Similar to At Issue, another series by Greenhaven Press, every volume of Opposing Viewpoints focus on one single topic, and this topic is throughout the book debated by various proponents and opponents. However, just because a writer happens to have been published doesn't mean he or she automatically is a good writer. And that becomes very obvious indeed in Greenhaven's series. Overall, though, The War on Drugs contains - just like all other volumes in this series - intelligent and well thought-out arguments from both sides. In this particular volume, "Illegal Drugs Should be Legalized" by Gary E. Johnson (former governor of New Mexico) is an outstanding piece of un-biased reasoning where he without blinders or moral lecturing offers a rational and realistic look at drugs, drug use, and drug abuse while at the same time not saying that everyone should do all drugs they can find all the time. In fact, Johnson is against drugs, yet admits that they will always be available one way or another for people who desire them, and that no real treatment or drug policy will be effective until people realize this. Obviously, not all contributors are as clear-sighted as Johnson, but whether or not they're pro or against drugs, most of them have something interesting to say about the topic of drugs (even if the term "drug" is extremely difficult to define). And this simple fact is the reason for the good grade.