Quote:

Freedom is a right, but also a responsibility. It isnt absolute, for the exercise of freedom must involve restraint in order to not intrude on others. Freedom exercised simply for the inducement of pleasure is hedonism and detrimental to right itself. The recreational use of drugs is a abuse of the right of freedom.



Todd,
While I appreciate your fundamental rationale and warning regarding the obvious dangers inherent in the abuse of mind-altering and illict drugs, I think you might have overstated it a bit when you theorized that "freedom exercised simply for the inducement of pleasure", in essence the "pursuit of happiness"(a very american tradition, of course) is "hedonistic". Well, maybe fundamentally it is, but considering that many other endevors with which western(and "modern") people indulge themselves today, such as riding a motorcycle around and burning up the fosil fuels of this planet simply for the positive effects that it has on one's psyche and not just to get from Point-A to Point-B(Lord knows I do THIS all the time, and I don't think I'm the only one around here who does) could also perhaps fit into your "hedonism" catagory.

And so, even though I agree that recreational drug use is, well, pretty STUPID for the most part, when there are so many other things to do with one's life, places to visit, ways of enlightment to be researched, etc, etc, etc, before they kick the ol' bucket, I don't believe you're logic in this matter holds up to scrutiny, my friend.

Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)