Tuesday, Nick Panetta, the public relations director for UGA NORML, wrote a column condemning the prohibition of marijuana in the U.S.

By midday, the column had sparked a robust debate on The Red & Black Web site about the pros and cons, costs and benefits and facts and opinions concerning marijuana and its use.

People referenced clinical studies, economic principles, government policies, and a few commentators even wagged their fingers at the illusive “moral issue” involved with the perilous plant.

I was distressed to find one argument missing from the dialogue: the issue of liberty.

We elect the government and grant it the right to set policy for us, so our society can function on a daily basis. Self government and laws are good, but how deeply into our private lives should those restrictions apply?

Is it a good idea for minors to be able to buy pot from the grocery store? No. Should people be allowed to get stoned while they are driving? No. But should the decision to smoke a joint in your living room be up to you? Yes!

On the subject of marijuana – and other drugs – I think we have allowed our government to overstep its bounds.

Have people’s lives become so infiltrated by our far-reaching Big Brother that they haven’t taken the time to question why their own liberty is being curtailed?

Of course smoking pot is bad for you. If you inhale something that is on fire, your body isn’t going to thank you for it. People already know that.

Yes, we are paying a ton of money in taxes to get people with drugs off the street, and our prisons are overcrowded for it. This just means we will pay more money to build more prisons. Who is winning?

The illegal drug trade fills the coffers of violent criminals, dangerous cartels, terrorists and those drug-dealing jokers who don’t pay their taxes.

As we watch honest industries in this country fail, history has shown that the dishonest ones will continue to flourish. It would be great to undercut a considerable part of the bad guys’ income and simultaneously recover some revenue – not to mention open up a new domestic industry.

I don’t smoke. I have before, but I don’t like it. I do not enjoy feeling slow, hungry, thirsty and self conscious – so grass just isn’t my thing.

Do I think smoking pot is a bad decision for some people? Absolutely. But do I think that my personal feelings or observations should be imposed on other responsible citizens? Of course not.

After all, there are some folks who should never go near a bottle of Scotch. But if that were made illegal again, God help me I would certainly lead a life of crime.

Legal or not, people who want to smoke pot will. If they act responsibly about it, and don’t infringe another person’s rights, I say they have the right to do so. Our elected officials should recognize that.

What part of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have we forgotten?

- Louie Brogdon is a senior from McDonough majoring in newspapers.