17 arrested in cold medicine probe

Sigh. Yes, it's another piece about the failed law against cold and allergy drugs that contain pseudoephedrine.

A police investigation in southeastern Kansas has netted 17 arrests of people who (I'm cautioning you, dear reader, please do not read further if you're easily offended) purchased too much over-the-counter cold and allergy medicine. They were nabbed on information cops got from stores that happily handed over logs of the purchases.

I've seen no evidence that any of the 17 "suspects" intended to use the medicine for anything other than what it was meant for. More to the point, I see no proof that they tried using the pills to make meth. I know firsthand that spring allergies can be brutal in the Midwest, so did you ever stop and think that maybe these 17 individuals have really bad allergies and have no involvement in meth whatsoever?

But the law makes no distinction. If you're running 200 meth labs in the woods behind your house, this law treats you no more harshly than if you've just got 2 sick children.

Naturally, Freeper types are praising the probe in the comment section of the Kansas paper. They brag (in all capitals) that the quirky arrests will "SEND A MESSAGE TO THESE TYPE OF PEOPLE." What type of people? People who catch colds or have allergies?

Just one more example of why we need to flush these new laws straight down the crapper.

(Source: http://www.fstribune.com/story/1432957.html)