21 November, 2013

Trey Radel's cocaine arrest: Arbitrary stimulant prejudice begone | The Economist

Trey Radel's cocaine arrest: Arbitrary stimulant prejudice begone | The Economist:
HERE is everything you need to know about the absurdity of America's war on drugs. When Trey Radel, a congressman from Florida, was charged with cocaine possession on Tuesday, he released a statement that began as follows:
I'm profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida. I struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely irresponsible choice. As the father of a young son and a husband to a loving wife, I need to get help so I can be a better man for both of them.
This is a perfectly reasonable and entirely sympathetic statement from somebody with an addiction problem. The queer bit is that in making this plea for understanding, Mr Radel feels on solid ground ascribing his misbehaviour to alcoholism, but isn't willing to talk in the same way about his drug use. Alcoholism, apparently, does not carry the type of stigma that would prevent Americans from empathising with or, potentially, re-electing Mr Radel. He expects that his readers will share his view of alcoholism as a disease. In contrast, he terms his cocaine use "an extremely irresponsible choice." Alcoholism is a disease; cocaine possession is a choice. Because, after all, something can't be evil or criminal if it's involuntary. How can it be a crime to have a disease? Right?