Actually I wouldn’t use that word for the 3rd item in your list, Drogati, the reason being that whoever is “fighting” for the decriminalisation of marijuana has no idea what it means to be ‘drogat’; has no idea what it means to be a parent, lover or relative of a ‘drogat’.

The majority of those insisting on the decriminalisation of certain drugs are what one would call posers. Many who smoke marijuana do it because they think it’s cool and by doing it they are breaking the law (how exciting!).

Many do it because their friends do it. And many don’t smoke, have never smoked, but insist on decriminalisation only because it’s cool to be anti-institutional.

I doubt any ‘drogat’ or his or her family would shout ‘hooray’ to the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use.

Has it lost its voice?

“We want the law to remain a deterrent for drug abusers,” a spokesman said.

Both parties therefore have very similar positions, buttressed by Catholic relief agency Caritas, which is also against decriminalisation. Rather than a change in policy, Caritas head Mgr Victor Grech told The Sunday Times what the Government needed was a change in attitude.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121104/local/Drug-decriminalisation-opposed-parties-favour-new-arrest-scheme.443859

[Daphne – A distinction has to be made between removing marijuana from the schedule of illegal drugs and the decriminalisation of marijuana possession for personal use.]

Sabiex jakkwistaw dak il-vot, dejjem lesti li jitqahbu ghalih.

Qatt ma kienu jiterresshom il-ben essere ta’ dan il-pajjiz, imma kif se jiffangaw u jabbuzaw mil-poter, u jsawtu lill-proxxmu taghhom.

Shame on you, Partit Laburista.

U fuq pagna 147 kienu qed jirreferu ghall-medicina tal-Gvern.

Biex taghmel dak li weghedu Joe u l-Guy fil-programm elettorali trid hafna u hafna flus bhal ma trid ghal skejjel godda.

Imma jekk ibiddlu l-ligi, skond il-politika l-gdida li kien ghallimhom Mintoff fis-70ijiet, johorgu b`orhos u ghas-sekli li gejjin jibqghu maghrufin li huma qammelin.

Dik kienet il-benna ta xmara tal-gherf li xorbu minnha Joe u l-Guy u li minnha qed jisqu lilna.

What is the problem with allowing adults to make their own personal choices?

[Daphne – This is a tired old question, Logical. The problem is that some choices lead to adults becoming a burden on others, i.e. the state/taxpayer. In a truly liberal society, it is every man for himself, with no welfare state. You sink, rise or survive by your own hand and nobody is obliged to help you stay alive or in healthcare or pay your pension.

In the true meaning of liberalism, eople are free to make their own choices, but then everyone else is free to decide whether they can be arsed to pay to help others when the results of those others’ poor choices come through.

European society strikes a balance between the liberal and the welfare state. Your choice to drive without wearing a seat-belt ends where the taxpayer’s obligation to pay for your hospital care, or your pension if you end up permanently disabled and unable to work, begins.

Drug addicts, like alcoholics and heavy smokers, end up a financial and care burden on society – hence the heavy tax on cigarettes and alcohol, imposed because you cannot ban what has already been legal and part of life for a long, long time.

It would be madness to make the same mistake with drugs that are currently illegal that was made with tobacco cigarettes. With cigarettes, the legislators can be partly excused because there was no knowledge of the great harm they do. With drugs that are now illegal, there is no such excuse. We know what great harm they do.]

What it says is that they will continue to ‘fight drugs’ but with a shift towards victim-oriented and educational means (not carceral), and that criminal law should reflect this shift.

But there is nothing there to alleviate the problem of the short- men -with -a -chip- on -their shoulder problem that is plaguing the law courts and the whole of Malta and Gozo in general.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140422/local/hamrun-shooter-charged-with-attempted-murder.516003

And about time too.