From 1994, but still interesting


Gun control and drug control are usually associated with opposite ends of the political spectrum. Presidents Reagan and Bush were eager to pursue the war on drugs but generally wary of gun control. President Clinton has made gun control a major goal, while his drug strategy is almost invisible. But these two policies have much in common at both a philosophical and a practical level. Both blame inanimate objects for complex social problems, promising to control crime and disorder by controlling their symbols. And both are ultimately harmful, for many of the same reasons.

1) efforts to control them have been shaped by racism and xenophobia

2) gun laws and drug laws tend to be passed in an atmosphere of hysteria that discourages critical reflection

3) since both policies aim to control things that individuals buy and sell voluntarily, both involve government intrusion into people's private lives

4) in addition to undermining civil liberties, gun control and drug control undermine responsible behavior

5) advocates of drug control and gun control deliberately blur the distinction between responsible and irresponsible use

6) justify restrictions in the name of children

7) speak of guns and drugs as if they were viruses transmitting a deadly disease

8) supporters of gun control and drug control find that it helps to switch attention periodically to a new, supposedly unprecedented threat (ie; create a boogeyman)