Repeal Day Retrospective: 79 Years Later, Prohibition Continues
December 5th, 2012
On December 5th, 1933, 79 years ago, Utah ratified the 21st Amendment, thus ending the nationwide prohibition on alcohol that had plunged the US into chaos. A small percentage of Americans imposed their will on others by banning the intoxicating beverages, and, in so doing, created a cash-flush criminal enterprise with better weapons than local law enforcement agencies.
Al Capone and other famous gangsters terrorized cities with the Tommy guns that they purchased with prohibition profits. Meanwhile, use and abuse of alcohol continued unabated. Recognizing that prohibition failed, the greatest generation did the sensible thing and repealed the 18th Amendment, legalizing alcohol once again. Almost 8 decades later, the government now prohibits a wide range of products and services for alleged health reasons, stimulating a violent and wealthy black market, encouraging the militarization of law enforcement, and leaving innocent families in the crossfire. What lessons can Repeal Day teach us about the solutions to our own contemporary problems?
Addiction Is a Health Problem, Not a Criminal Justice Issue
Most people experiment with vices at some point during their life. A certain percentage of individuals are prone to addiction and will not be able to use drugs or alcohol responsibly. This is a fact of life, and there are countless health services aimed at solving this problem. Most of them work very effectively.
One approach that does not work is prohibition. Putting a drug addict in a prison cell next to an armed robber for years does not deal with the fundamental issues that drive that person to addiction. Prohibiting drugs also increases the profitability of selling them, thus ensuring that they will reach the marketplace regardless. If people want something, they will get it whether the government wants them to or not.
Prohibition Funds Street Gangs, Drug Cartels, and Terrorists
Terrorist groups are known for selling heroin to raise money for their attacks. Drug cartels in South America rival governments in their revenue-raising capabilities. Street gangs use profits from narcotics to keep their foot soldiers equipped with semi-automatic weapons. In response, law enforcement agencies are militarizing, prioritizing body armor and machine guns over Andy Griffith style community policing.
Law-abiding citizens are profiled and searched on street corners. Children are struck down by stray bullets as gangs battle for turf. Families are blown to pieces by police during no-knock raids on wrong addresses. The ATF and FBI have been giving weapons to drug cartels which have then been used to kill US border guards. Things are far more out of control now than they were on this day in 1933.
For those who are celebrating Repeal Day with libations and merriment, it’s worth taking a few moments to consider how much more work there is to be done. When products that people want are prohibited, black markets emerge in response. With Nanny Bloomberg banning large Cokes and the federal government prohibiting certain types of light bulbs, we might be looking ahead to a day when black markets have more credibility with consumers than the ones approved by the government.
Prohibiting the ownership of products doesn’t work, in any case.
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