FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH
Cassie took in a deep breath and then released it after a moment, deciding that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to go after Calalo in the first question (though the abortion line a few minutes prior had been pretty good, in her opinion, even if it was ignored).
"I think that we can all agree that there are parts of the War on Drugs that have failed and parts that have worked. That's why we stop spending where it doesn't work and either give the people a tax cut or put it to better use. There's a balance to things like this, a way of moving forward. The way to end drug abuse isn't by making these drugs illegal, it's getting the information out early and funding programs so that people will understand the why early on. That's why groups like the Caring School Community Program, DARE, and Project Star focus specifically on youth. I think that we need to take it a step further, though: I would support a short-term class that parents could choose to opt-out their students from that would do more than just explain the effects, but show them the consequences of constant drug use. Hearing about something and seeing how bad it is are two very different things, and if people can see the horrible effects of drug abuse early on, they will have a light go off in their heads so that they will understand why we have these rules in place. Congressman Putnam, you would undo the years of work that have gone toward saving Americans lives. For all we know, next you'll argue the marijuania is just a plant, so anyone that deals with it's a florist."