Saturday, 5 January 2008

Brunstrom strikes again. Hypocrites tremble.

Richard Brunstrom, Wales' favourite Chief Constable has done it again.

This time, it's a suggestion that illegal drugs be made legal in order to avoid the need for addicts to commit crimes in order to feed their addiction. Further, that it also allows monitoring and, hopefully, may allow an addict to free themselves from their addiction.

This seems perfectly sensible to me, as all the figures available seem to suggest that a high proportion of crimes are committed for drug purchase, by addicts who have no real interest in criminal activity, apart from, as a means of 'survival'.

I will not dwell too much on the whys and wherefores of the matter except to voice my support for the Chief Constable's view.

Naturally his words have attracted much opprobrium from many, who obviously still believe the spin that the 'war on drugs' is winnable. That 'war' is continually lost until tobacco and alcohol are added to the list of proscribed drugs.

Paul Flynn's blog kindly sets out the Lancet's opinion of the relative dangers of the common 'recreational' drugs. Paul also scoffs at Chris Bryant's hysterical outburst containing yet another call for Brunstrom to resign. This doesn't really help Chris's desperate attempts to lose his Y-front image.

Over at Normal Mouth's, the ever predictable Glyn Davies also makes his second call in as many months for Brunstrom's resignation. He claims that Brunstrom's "campaign to legalise drugs that are currently illegal, is not consistant with him remaining as a Chief Constable".

Normal has asked Glyn for an explanation and Glyn has yet to respond.

Don't hold your breath Normal.

The 'Brunstrom' saga has appeared previously on Glyn's blog and, having asked some quite pertinent questions, I was fobbed off with some rubbish about having moved on. Perhaps it was my mention of the fact that if Alcohol were to be proscribed it would cause him great personal despair as his beloved game of Rugby would not survive without its booze culture. Further, I would also suggest that it would mean and end to most of what we euphemistically describe as Welsh culture. Ban booze and Wales dies.

Well, now that Glyn has broached the subject I might as well mention it here again. Maybe my reader would care to respond as well.

Mind altering substances have been an integral part of our Islands' 'culture' since time immemorial. There have been opinions cast over millenia regarding the use or misuse of these substances, none of these opinions having had the slightest effect.

People just seem to love their drug induced altered states of consciousness. In today's 'culture' there appears to be a strong liking for drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, opiates and various fungi. These are illegal to use but, nevertheless, are enjoyed by many.

Two of the most pernicious and deadly drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco, are sold with the full encouragement of Government, by way of taxation. Whatever happened to our sense of fair play?

Alcohol, in particular, does massive societal damage, yet is accepted with an attitude of casuality until the harmful effects are a matter of personal or family concern.

I am at a loss to understand how Glyn can call for the resignation of a professional policeman at the top of his 'tree', with a clearly considered professional opinion, as opposed to Glyn, snuffling around at the 'roots', with little knowledge of 'drug' matters, apart, that is, from what he reads in the papers.

It seems somewhat hypocritical of Glyn to call for Brunstrom's resignation when Glyn is an active proponent and user of one of the most dangerous and deadly drugs in today's society.

Despite the legality of Glyn's chosen recreational drug, it would appear to be a standpoint hardly consistent with prospective Parliamentary candidature.

Your pal.

johnny.

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