Via Jacob Sullum, a great moment in Orwellian political discourse: Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, proposes an amendment to bar the proposed National Criminal Justice Commission from discussing “related to current Federal, State, and local criminal justice policies and practices or reform recommendations that involve, support, or otherwise discuss the decriminalization of any offense under the Controlled Substances Act or the legalization of any controlled substance.” Called on that, he explains that he had to propose this amendment prohibiting debate in order to encourage debate:

Finally, I put forward an amendment to address the issue of decriminalization and legalization of any controlled substance. I filed this amendment in an effort to start a debate on this important issue. The members of the Judiciary Committee need to discuss the policy in the open. I continue to believe that decriminalization and legalization of dangerous drugs is not the right course. I’ve spoken to hundreds of Iowans who have had their families devastated by drugs. To simply allow this commission to be passed by the committee without addressing decriminalization or legalization will do nothing to tackle the issue and raise the stories of families impacted by drugs or the crime that occurs because of drug use. We need to make sure that whatever Congress decides, children and young people know that drugs are dangerous and that drug use is a serious issue.

In other words, Senator Grassley only wants “debate” that he can control, and that benefits him. Debate of the question of drug legalization by a commission of experts is unacceptable, because it ignores that DRUGS WILL KILL YOU OMG PANIC.

I really see no indication that we’ll have intelligent and genuine debate of legalization within a generation.

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