Yes, but, it does affect them, if their tax dollars are being used to insure this drug addict has a "safe infusion area" to shoot up, and if he/she overdoses for the umpteenth time, who is paying for the narcam they are receiving? Again...our/ my tax dollars. So yes, they are affecting me. The way I look at it, I'm supporting them while they are in jail, I'm supporting them when they overdose, more than likely, I'm supporting their children with food and a place to live. It all comes back to who is footing the bill for this.
There's a
million things I don't want my tax dollars going to, but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Liberty.
You can't go into court and ask to lock someone up because you feel victimized by that person based on how the govt. uses our collective tax dollars.
I don't agree on a war on drugs, but my tax dollars are supporting it. Am I being victimized by the govt. and those people who agree with the war on drugs? No, because I recognize that the role of govt. is to collect tax money for the greater good. I don't have to agree with how it's collected or used, but until
our government decides it wants to start limiting spending of our tax money, I have no dog in the fight.
We all, collectively, foot the bill for every facet of this drug battle. Law creation, enforcement, judges, public defenders, jails, treatment, ambulatory care, children, food, etc. everything is covered by us. If your argument is that govt. should spend the least amount possible, why aren't you in favor of a system where personal responsibility takes the center stage and people who actually hurt someone are held accountable or when people hurt themselves we, as a country, are putting faith into that person(s) to become a functioning member of society again instead of a system that punishes even the most functional, taxpaying memeber of society simply because they use or posess something the govt. told them not to? The idea that all drugs can be erradicated, or that all drug users will simply get high at their own home and not affect anyone else is a pipe dream, but it's better than the idea that the govt. is the only thing that can rid society of something that has literally been around since the beginning of civilization. That idea has led to warrantless road blocks, SWAT teams used all the time, civil asset forefiture, growing budgets, etc. all of which cost tax dollars.