Lemmy Calls For Legal Heroin
By
Newsferatu,
Writer
Thursday, November 3, 2005 @ 12:11 AM
Lemmy Gets Political
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From the BBC:
Motorhead frontman, Lemmy has used an anti-drugs platform at the Welsh assembly to call for the legalisation of heroin.
He took time off from Motörhead's 30th anniversary tour to share a platform with Conservative AM William Graham on the fatal dangers of the drug.
But he said making heroin legal would allow it to be taxed and regulated and keep users away from drug dealers.
Mr Graham said Lemmy presented "alternative" views to his own, but the message was firmly against drugs.
The AM told the briefing in Cardiff Bay that that young people would listen to Lemmy more than any committee.
Lemmy was invited to the assembly on Thursday by Mr Graham hours before his band played to a more familiar audience at Cardiff University.
A small crowd of assembly office workers gathered in the foyer for the arrival of Lemmy, who was clad in trademark black cowboy hat, motorbike boots and iron cross medallion.
He was subjected to the usual security, and had to remove his hat before going through the full body scanner - oh yes, and the cigarette he was politically ordered to extinguish.
As a security guard patted him down with a hand-held electronic detector, the star raised his arms in to a crucifix -like shape and good-humouredly muttered: "Guilty".
There was also a striking juxtaposition of the veteran rocker and the immaculately besuited Mr Graham in the milling area of the assembly. But the focus shifted quickly to the human tragedy of heroin use.
Lemmy sat at a table, pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and quickly made his views plain.
Lemmy, who was brought up in Anglesey, said he first became aware of heroin users after he began touring with bands in north Wales in 1967.
He met junkies on the music scene and described how one woman he lived with tried the drug "to see what it was like". She died within three years, and was one of many people he said he had known killed by heroin.
He explained how his hatred of the drug was so strong he once turned in a dealer to the police, who then went to jail. But he said the dealer was freed in about six months.
Lemmy said: "It turns them into thieves and liars.
"It removes them from the social circle. All they are thinking about is junk.
Lemmy certainly has an alternative solution to the one presently being tried William Graham AM.
"They will do anything. They will sell everything they've got and steal yours and sell that."
But Lemmy said legalisation was the way forward, as heavier policing had failed to beat drugs.
"You can't keep people from doing what makes them feel good. The reason they do heroin in the first place is because of the oblivion it gives them.
Decriminalisation
"There's more heroin on the street now than there's ever been."
He also questioned the point of sending drug offenders, particularly the young, to jail, which turned a generation of young, non-violent users into criminals.
When quizzed by journalists about drugs other than heroin, Lemmy refused to be drawn, saying he was at the assembly to talk only about heroin.
"Heroin is the only one that kills," he said.
Mr Graham made clear that he believed decriminalisation should be considered rather than legalisation.
'Destroying their lives'
He also said there could be "pilot areas" created in which heroin users brought before the courts would be treated rather than punished.
Mr Graham said: "Lemmy certainly has an alternative solution to the one presently being tried.
"The message is against drugs. If that's one way to stop people destroying their lives then it might be perfectly appropriate."
bkeithphelps - 12/19/2005 7:22:17 PM This is SUCH a good viewpoint that Lemmy gives. Of course, we don't want children, parents, sons, daughters, or ANYONE doing heroin!! BUT, we have to acknowledge that they are, and many cannot stop for any extended period of time without either being in an enclosed facility, or being on methadone/buprenorphine (which are excellent treatments, for some.) It took me 9 years to get away from my addiction to heroin, which started at the hospital, following surgery, as a morphine pump, followed by Demerol, Percocet, Lortab, and Darvocet, in that order. The docs did what they were supposed to do by treating my pain. I was unfortunate enough to not be able to handle these types of medicines. When they cut me off, I switched to heroin, and fake prescriptions of any opioid I could get. Methadone treatment saved my life, but there are so many that don't have access to it, and some that don't respond well to it. Addicts, even those that started on the street corner, rather than the hospital, didn't start out thinking that being a smack addict was a great idea! This crap happens outside of their will power and wants. And you don't know you're an addict until you're already addicted. Too late, then. Now what do you do? Ordinary people would say "Stop!" But that doesn't work for those of us that destroy our bodies through super-high doses and chronic relapse of opioids - we hate what we're doing, and yet to feel "normal," we go to any length (some further than others, but that's irrelevant) to get and do the drug. I know that for me, the first real chance I got to get away from illicit drug use, and have the ability to feel normal, I snatched it up and got back to a real life - one that includes full-time work, part-time work, college, a home, a car, and the relationships that I needed to fix after years of disappointments. I am grateful everyday that I was able to find the way out, but so many won't make it to that point because of our "War on Drugs" in the US - a useless cat and mouse game we play by putting non-violent users and such into over-crowded prisoners where no treatment is available for them, and then send them right back out to do it all over again... And why not? They cannot get food stamps, housing assistance, financial aid for college, or any other type of help to get back on their feet (you trying being locked up for 5 years, and then being released one day with no family and nowhere to go, no transportation, no job, a criminal history (however petty or irrelevant,) and so on. A change is in order!
RX_God - 11/11/2005 8:06:43 PM New Zealand Decriminalized Weed upon the logic that it reduced the exposure of their kids to criminal drug dealers who also deal in hard drugs. Logically sound. Personally, I Don't like opiates, meth or coke, but think availablity by prescription for those who do like it too much would eliminate some of the injuries and deaths caused by impurity... *Deprive criminal organizations their money, some of which supports terrorism. Al-Queda supposedly generated $30 million for 911 through bootleg heroin sales. Legal heroin in 2001 would've caused these evil bastards to have to get jobs for their terror activities and 911 probably may not have then happened... Lots more opinions regarding these issues on this LP site: http://www.anti-mafia.com/D.E.A.-Tech.htm
_XXXXXXXXXX_ - 11/10/2005 2:50:21 PM I had it figured right. You're another member of the Tin Foil Brigade. Thank you.
judasbishop - 11/10/2005 12:49:11 PM lagalize yes xxxxx, but follow the money trail regarding WHY drug offenders are locked up. While I respect libertarians for not getting caught up in the bullshit religious/moral hysteria that wastes our tax dollars...the drug war at it's roots is not about morality-it's about profit.
judasbishop - 11/10/2005 12:36:19 PM have you looked into one thing I've taught you over the weeks XXXXXX?
Owlknight - 11/10/2005 8:51:25 AM OH YEAH ! WE NOT GOING DOWN THE TOILET FAST ENOUGH..!
LETS LEGALIZE HEROIN !
Owlknight - 11/10/2005 8:31:19 AM !
_XXXXXXXXXX_ - 11/10/2005 8:11:37 AM I would imagine more than 50% are doing time for drugs. Child molesters was one example of many. Let's lump in all criminals who have more than one violent crime on their record. We have a system that spits them out due to overcrowding. I believe we'd have enough "takers" out there to fill the place of drug offenders. Commit a violent crime more than once, and you're not seeing daylight.
judasbishop - 11/10/2005 1:54:24 AM know what percentage are doing time for drugs? You still think there's enough child molesters to fill there space? I bet it looks that way when the missing whitegirl network showers you with all that realy important news you just shared with us
_XXXXXXXXXX_ - 11/9/2005 11:20:08 PM For profit prisons now, huh? That aside. I'd fill them up with criminals. The criminals we tend to put shoot out into society. Here in MN, its possible to serve 13 years for murder one, and get out. That's just one example. I won't bore you with additional. I would like to see more sex offenders put away for good. Another example (I can't resist...indulge me) 43 year old man convicted of molestation five times. Served less than 9 years for all those offenses because our "touchy feely" attitude here in MN wanted to rehabilitate him. Two summers ago he did something he had never done before...killed a little girl after raping her. Had he been put away for life, she'd be alive today. Legalize everything, pardon all drug offenders, and lets fill the jails full of people who should be there...for life.
