Drugs are thought to be immoral and have consequently been deemed illegal. Cocaine, LSD, crystal meth, marijuana and ecstasy are just the few drugs that have been banned in the past century. However, one drug remains an exception and is openly sold on America’s market. Alcohol has remained alive and well on the market, taking just as many lives as the illegal drugs.
Drugs have remained illegal for various reasons. They alter the mindset, speeding up or slowing down the brain depending on which drug has been consumed. Several die from excessive consumption. Many will risk their lives to obtain a small portion of their addiction. Addiction is the most difficult aspect of drugs to overcome, and it can happen even to those with the best intentions. The argument that drugs--specifically marijuana--should be legalized continues to surface in even the most heated debates of our society. America will often be compared to Amsterdam when attempting to support the legalization of marijuana and will retort with, “Amsterdam does fine with legal marijuana, why can’t we?” In reality, this is America. This is the country most infamous for gluttony and greed, a horrible combination when in possession of drugs. This is a country that cannot afford another addiction.
So many people forget that alcohol, too, is a drug, however, it is still legally available to the public. Alcohol poisons families whether it is a direct or indirect connection. Drunken fathers break their family bonds; partying students throw away their future; selfish drivers wreak havoc on the streets. Alcohol is no different from any other depressant drug, other than the fact that anyone can get their hands on it. Compare it to marijuana or pain killers and the physical affect is painfully similar. Alcohol is more harmful, if anything. On average per year, alcohol takes about 80,000 lives, while marijuana has never in US history been responsible for a death; and all illicit drugs combined kill under 20,000 people per year.
The country makes hundreds of advertisements a year promoting safe drinking, as if there is such a thing. America is proud to say that drugs are not tolerated among the streets, yet the most deadliest drug is sold in nearly every corner store.
1.) 7 Apr. 2008. http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/gen008.htm
Mr. Hughes,
this was the only site I used for reference, however, it gave me zero information on who created the page, the page's name, or when it was made. I put as much information as I could gather...which was unfortunately only 2 items. =/
sorry.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Argumentative Essay (8)
Posted by Aly at 7:04 PM
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4 comments:
i dig it=]
your claim on your brainstorming sheet was "alcohol should be illegal," but you never directly stated that. had you stated that claim directly, your score would have been higher.
your claim (as reflected in your essay) is basically "alcohol is a legal drug that takes as many lives as illegal drugs." your reasons (as expressed in your brainstorming) operated as your claim in the essay, but you never called for a ban on alcohol production and consumption.
work on this in the next few essays as you prepare for the ap exam. i submitted your name to ms. avery a few weeks ago when she asked for a list of students who I thought could pass the exam. i put an asterisk next to your name to let her know that i feel confident that you'll pass.....now.....work on directly stating claims in your thesis statements...some ap readers are sensitive to such mistakes. :)
Sweet, loved the drug references. Loved it altogether.
Keep It Legal(Qualified Refutation)
Aly Clark makes a brilliant deduction; drugs should remain illegal in America. However, she also states that alcohol, like drugs, should also be illegal. Clark states, “Cocaine, LSD, crystal meth, marijuana and ecstasy are just the few drugs that have been banned in the past century. However, one drug remains an exception and is openly sold on America’s market. Alcohol has remained alive and well on the market, taking just as many lives as the illegal drugs.” To view alcohol and drugs in such a similar manner is not equivalent. A greater percentage of people who use drugs, such as cocaine, become addicted to the substance than that of people who use alcohol. One would more likely to become addicted to cocaine than to alcohol. The relapse rate is much higher for cocaine and many other drugs. Although Clark gives good evidence to support her reasoning, there are still too many negative outcomes on making alcohol illegal in our country.
When it comes to gluttony and greed, America is not the only country guilty of those two out of the seven deadly sins. Clark makes an unfair judgment about America when she says, “America will often be compared to Amsterdam when attempting to support the legalization of marijuana and will retort with, ‘Amsterdam does fine with legal marijuana, why can’t we?’ In reality, this is America. This is the country most infamous for gluttony and greed, a horrible combination when in possession of drugs.” In recent history Amsterdam has been known to have its share of gluttony and greed. Because of Amsterdam’s legalization of marijuana, it causes the natives to spend undesirable amounts of government money on marijuana for themselves. Clark seems to contradict herself when she compares Amsterdam to America (“Unwritten”). This act committed by the natives of Amsterdam is definitely defined as gluttonous and greedy. When members of the community use government money to buy drugs for themselves that is selfish. The money taken could go to other government funding projects throughout Amsterdam.
Prohibiting alcohol will indeed cause the crime rate in America to rise dramatically. Along with this country not being able to “afford another addiction,” this country can not afford higher crime rate. Clark even states, “So many people forget that alcohol, too, is a drug, however, it is still legally available to the public.” With making alcohol illegal, consumers of alcohol will do just what consumers of drugs here in America do to get what they need, and that is purchasing through the Black Market. This way would be the only way possible for people to purchase alcohol if it were illegal. Catching people committing such a crime would send America’s crime rate soaring. Clark compares accurate statistics when she writes, On average per year, alcohol takes about 80,000 lives, while marijuana has never in US history been responsible for a death; and all illicit drugs combined kill under 20,000 people per year.” Even though this is, in truth, correct, the number of prisoners in jail according to drug use is significantly higher than those of alcohol related incidents, such as DWI’s. There are 1,360,000 drug prisoners in America versus the 469,000 alcohol prisoners in America. Therefore, banning alcohol will not only raise the crime rate, it would also raise the amount of convicts (“Drug Facts”).
Aly Clark is correct in some degree, but not to the fullest extent. Just like drugs, alcohol can permit wrong doing. And Amsterdam, like America, is also guilty of immoral characteristics. But, keeping alcohol legal is an easier and safer route to take, rather than trying to make it illegal. Therefore, with drugs still being against the law, there would not be any risk of crime rate increasing.
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