i voted for executing drug dealers.
I don't have time for a debate, but since some of you seem genuinely curious, i'll briefly explain my opinion.
first, as to the objection about effectiveness: i am under no illusion that the government can effectively eliminate or even regulate drugs. the war on drugs is pathetic, much like prohibition.
however, neither I am under any illusion that laws against murder or speeding will stop people so inclined. If you want to spin analogies, spin this one: "passing laws against speeding won't stop people from speeding, so why not legalize any speed?"
second, the objection about rights: regardless of how you may feel about your God-given rights, as far as the constitution is concerned, the government certainly has the power to pass laws constraining your behavior. this can, and clearly does, occur. from turd-burgling to jaywalking, we as a society have the power and often the duty to discourage undesirable and problematic behavior.
(as a point of reference, if it weren't for idiots like Sarah Brady trying to ban guns entirely, I would totally support common-sense gun laws. e.g. brief waiting period and background checks, but not registration or mag capacity limits. i.e. not laws about the guns themselves (machine guns should be legal) but I support laws that would prevent people with a history of violence from legally purchasing any gun, not because I believe the government has any hope of actually stopping a criminal from getting a gun, but because society has to show some stones and say that it's not right, and we'll light you up when we catch you)
third, the objection based on predictions of what life would be like with legalized drugs: I've spent a few weeks on the Leidensplein, in the heart of Amsterdam, as well as several visits to the countryside around Holland. In some ways it's better than our typical US inner cities, and in other ways it's worse. But if you think their approach to drug use eliminates crime and problems, I strongly encourage you to take a trip.
fourth, I won't argue that prohibition and the war on drugs and now terror have caused quite a bit of collateral damage to our rights, including 2A. But it's not right to blame the loss on those things. They were convenient excuses for powermongers. If there were no drugs, they would have found another excuse.
finally, my own opinion is simply that narcotics, unlike nicotine and caffeine, and to a much greater extent than alcohol, control people so effectively that they simply cannot help themselves. They lose their minds and their reasoning and distort the world so much that for them, violent stupidity is as inevitable as the sun rising.
I wouldn't pitch a fit about legalizing hootie weed, nor would I be upset if we criminalized drunkenness. They don't seem too different to me.
Now, obviously, the poll is very generic. Certainly, not all drug dealers deserve death. But people who sell crack to children need to be executed.
