Baltimore Maryland was a conservative and progressive town, full of the descendants, of many heroes that believed to be in the right.. Fought the loyalists, risked their families well being, and won!

Achieving, the very 1st liberated place on Earth.

I mean, a step forward in liberation. yeah, there were French interests involved, personal interests etc. But we can agree that it was an improvement.

Many countries followed suit. Even though they meant well, all men created equal under god and freedom for all, was polluted with slavery, the love of a plantation house, a life of leisure, servants and forcing ones will on another, allowed for vast fortunes and the power to exert their will over others. Including the masses, who allowed it as a whole, even though they knew it was wrong.

Eventually, like women's rights, it was amended, tha people were freed and many traveled north, to set a good example of their race, much like the Irish, or Italians were looked at with scorn, them even more so.

Baltimore industry accepted them as laborers and gave them a chance to earn their way into the American dream. Like many nationalities: some made it and most didn't.

Thus they progressed and today if you go to Baltimore, I believe you'll find a huge contrast. In downtown, for example, there is a time after school lets out and before work does, that the downtown streets are flooded.. This is the restricted hood time, to enjoy various treats in the stores to some and buy & sell drugs to others.

It may be a stereotype that some black people use illegal drugs, while some of the people working downtown, use the same or worse drugs but get them prescribed or do them in secret.

To me: the latter are worse because they put on a facade.. It may be unpleasant for people to think about needing substances other than alcohol, coffee and cigarettes. Though I'd rather be open about it and responsible to the best of my ability, then secretly shun. I say: Put it in it's place, like Vegas and prostitution.

Get addiction out of small towns, who don't want it and most importantly, get the dirty drugs and overdoses out of here. Clean pharmays cost pennies to make.

in big cities and small towns the number of overdoses and crimes committed due to drug addiction and dirty product is maddening.

It's truly awful, the way that some people have seen substances, as a way to get people to do terrible things in hiding.

Just like King David saw Bathsheba and wanted her.. So he sent her man to the front lines to die. There are people who have looked at anything good, as a means to force others to do their will.

You see it in history time and time again, with religions, nationalism and mostly with drugs and prison. Prohibition made alcohol illegal, under the pretense that the world would be a better place but it also allowed the police to make money on imprisoning those they wanted to, while others continued drinking in peace while allowing organized crime to make huge amounts of money.

Look at the power of the Cartels, or the wars in Afghanistan, these profits are directly linked to the war on drugs.

Instead of drug addicts having to commit crimes and spending their time in foolish pursuits like finding air conditioners to strip of copper, selling stores back their stolen goods,robbing and prostituting... I hope we can at least try to put them in their place and utilize them as contributing members of society.

Though people seem to rather make money on it like guards selling Big Macs to inmates for $15

and charging the tax payer $50 to a hundred dollars a day per inmate when I can make 10 bologna sandwiches for $2 paying retail...You make me sick.

I've heard that once a brain is used to drugs releasing chemicals like dopamine, it's very hard to reform them.

Instead I think we should focus on teaching people not to get addicted to them in the 1st place.

Estimates say that America spends 40-60 billion dollars a year on housing prisoners and about an estimated half of them are in there for drug related offenses.

If there is a demand, I suggest we allow it in certain areas and tax it just like anything else.

I am open to debate this topic and hear some counterpoints, thank you.