New Year's Thoughts
At the start of the new year, there is much to do in our fight to protect our freedoms. I am excited to work on building our party and getting ready for the 2008 election. Now would be a wonderful time to send a contribution to my campaign, so I can be ready to run an active campaign next year. See my Contributions page for details. In the meantime, please remember to check off the Libertarian Party on your Utah State Income Tax form, and help rebuild our treasury. If you are not a member of the party, and would like to receive the party newsletter, go the www.lputah.org and sign up. the cost is only $20 per year, and we need to build our membership base. Perhaps most importantly, we need all our friends and supporters to sign our Organizing Petitions and to get others to do the same. See the "Organizing Petitions" tab on my Home page, print it out, and get started. We need your help now.
Last week, I went to the local pharmacy to fill my prescription for allergy medication. Taking this medication makes it very much easier for me to breathe without sneezing and without a runny nose. I tell you this, because of a strange circumstance. While there, I asked the pharmacist about obtaining some over the counter decongestant, which I occasionally need as well. For the prescription medication, he had not required a photo ID. For the over the counter medication, he did need my driver license, and he needed to add my name, signature and address to a log he is required to keep, of people who buy this medication. The reason is the "war on drugs". Large quantities of this medication are needed in the manufacture of methamphetamines. And despite that fact that the amount I purchased would be of no use to a meth lab, I am now on a government watch list. Heaven help me if I need it too often.
No, I do not support the distribution of illegal drugs. Methamphetamine in particular is very dangerous, and destroys lives. But I also do not support the government keeping records of my purchases of a perfectly legal over the counter medication, to see if I use an amount that might be suspicious. I write about this today simply because it is yet another example of government efforts to spy on its citizens who are not suspected of any crime. This bothers me, and it is one of many reasons why I maintain this website, why I write this blog, and why I work to get the government to stop interfering with our privacy. If you agree, then please do something to help.
Last week, I went to the local pharmacy to fill my prescription for allergy medication. Taking this medication makes it very much easier for me to breathe without sneezing and without a runny nose. I tell you this, because of a strange circumstance. While there, I asked the pharmacist about obtaining some over the counter decongestant, which I occasionally need as well. For the prescription medication, he had not required a photo ID. For the over the counter medication, he did need my driver license, and he needed to add my name, signature and address to a log he is required to keep, of people who buy this medication. The reason is the "war on drugs". Large quantities of this medication are needed in the manufacture of methamphetamines. And despite that fact that the amount I purchased would be of no use to a meth lab, I am now on a government watch list. Heaven help me if I need it too often.
No, I do not support the distribution of illegal drugs. Methamphetamine in particular is very dangerous, and destroys lives. But I also do not support the government keeping records of my purchases of a perfectly legal over the counter medication, to see if I use an amount that might be suspicious. I write about this today simply because it is yet another example of government efforts to spy on its citizens who are not suspected of any crime. This bothers me, and it is one of many reasons why I maintain this website, why I write this blog, and why I work to get the government to stop interfering with our privacy. If you agree, then please do something to help.
posted by Andrew McCullough @ 6:56 PM
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