Drugs, Guns, and Personal Liberty
Essay Topic; Drugs
Videos for Drug Topic; *Need to Watch this 3 video’s
Ethics – Drug Legalization and Criminalization (Link to video: https://youtu.be/DeItJM5i2JM)
How America Got Hooked on Opioids – The War on Drugs (Link to video: https://youtu.be/GJc-YI7OWfY)
– In The War On Drugs Show, we examine the social implications of prohibition worldwide. Any attempt to shut down the trade in drugs such as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine, or weed invariably sets off a chain of events that just makes things worse, leaving a trail of death, illness, violence, slavery, addiction, crime, and inequality across the globe. Everyone loses – except, in a weird kind of way, the drugs themselves.
The World If… Drugs Become Legal (https://youtu.be/j5T-LYTPRVs)
– As part of the Daily Watch ‘drugs week,’ we explore what the world might look like if legalization replaces the failing war on drugs. Join Tom Wainwright, Britain editor of The Economist and author of Narconomics, as he predicts what will happen to the cartels.
Essay Instructions:
Thoughtfully reflect on the issues discussed in the talks that you have watched. If you have chosen an alternative video to those on the list, please thoroughly identify the video.
In your essay, please address the following questions:
1) What is the speaker’s point of view about the topic? Is the speaker biased?
2) What ethical issues and ethical reasoning are argued?
3) Do you think that the issues discussed have moral and ethical implications? Why or why not?
4) Do you agree with the speaker’s point of view? Be specific and thorough. Express how and why you agree or disagree and discuss how ethics and values contribute to your opinion.
5) Consider the theoretical concepts discussed in the course. Do not just state your viewpoint; rather provide relevant details to support your findings and/or position.
Sample Solution
Ethics – Drug Legalization and Criminalization: The speaker’s point of view in this video is that the current policy of criminalizing drugs does not effectively reduce drug use and has caused more harm to individuals and communities than good. The speaker argues that criminalization disproportionately affects poorer and minority populations, leads to a cycle of addiction rather than rehabilitation, and results in countless lives lost due to violence associated with the drug trade. Furthermore, they also believe that legalizing drugs could help reduce these negative impacts while still allowing for regulation/control over their production and distribution.
The speaker appears to be biased towards their own opinion since they present evidence from personal experience such as their own experiences with drug users or those affected by current policies. Additionally, there does not seem to be any effort made by the speaker to provide an objective or balanced view of the topic, instead opting for one-sided criticism about drug criminalization which could lead some viewers to question its validity. However, despite being biased it should be noted that many of their points are valid and have been discussed by other advocates as well which adds credibility to their overall argument.
