D.A.R.E. is an example of an idea that might sound "good" or at least well intended at first, but the results are unexpected and have been horrid. Then the denial and re-working to bring it into even lower grade levels.... And the result was YOUNGER school children started trying / dealing in drugs. At the same time the program was then introduced in "outlying rural areas" and BINGO, YOU GUESSED IT....
Now, since this "drug problem is spreading, with younger children and more serious drugs", bla, bla, bla. The drug war needs more money than ever before, to fight the problem more than ever before. Gonna' see a victory real soon now, right? After 35 years of this?
(at least some communities finally sobered up and have dropped their DARE programs)
+++
It's the same deal with the war on child porn. Now, just asking about it (offer to sell or buy) is enough to get the FBI to kick in your doors and point guns at you at 4am - No possession is required, just offer to sell or buy it! It does not matter if it's just a Photoshop creation and technically "victimless". Are "thought police" coming next, or is this the last new law and new war to keep us all safe and protect the children?
I watched (in the Police training room) a local Police officer try to entice an Internet predator into a relationship with an underage girl (that he was posing as while on-line). A conversation started with someone who said he was a 17 year old boy in another state who was just looking for a (girl) friend to chat with. After the innocent school and hobby banter, after a few minutes the cop gradually started getting very suggestive on activities they might do together. After about 15 minutes the person on the other end of the chat just dropped off suddenly after the “naked in the hot tub” suggestions came up from the cop. Now depending on you point of view, this was because:
1 Suddenly became rude (previously was reasonably polite) and just not interested because he was too shy to become naked with some underage girl who was really a Police officer.
2 Technical problems dropped the connection at far end or midway.
3 Parent came into the room and pulled the plug suddenly.
4 Predator got spooked, smelled a sting because his mark was too good to be true.
5 Another cop realized he was just talking to another cop.
6 Or gee, it could have been a kid who (as he stated) just wanted to talk, but instead he got a bit of an education and way more than he was interested in.
7 Maybe it was really a 17 year old boy who thought he smelled a predator (the "good" cop) trying to hit on him, when he really just wanted to talk to a real girl.
8 Your guess?
I was there at the one end and I think it was #6 or #7 and realized that this police sting program actually causes more damage to society than “protection”. I told 'em what I thought and how it reminded me of D.A.R.E. and its reported "harm". No wonder people don't respect the Police and most of the laws they are whipping up these days. Libertarians call these “unintended consequences”.
( I also saw the Fed communication system that offered constant streamed text based propaganda on terror suspected activities. It identifies me as someone to be watchful of, i.e., someone who watches the Police with a critical eye or might be in possession of/carry a copy of the US Constitution. So much for the JBS "Support your Local Police and keep them independent" program. The feds now have a box in there to counteract that idea 24x7.)
Now I'm personally "against drug use and child porn", but can't endorse these laws and programs that are clearly unconstitutional, harm innocents and their families. It harms society on an economic and social level. It's Nazi tyranny crap that does not belong in these United States! It's not going to just go away on its own. It's going to expand and become even more invasive just by the nature of coercive government – ‘cause that's just what it does if left unchecked - Government grows as Liberty yeilds.
See
www.leap.cc from "recovering" law enforcement officers who now see the light.
