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Illinois
Congressman
Bobby
Rush
Puts
Decriminalization
"On
The
Table"
7/21/00
On the eve of a conference
on black-on-black violence set for Chicago this weekend, Rep. Bobby Rush
(D-IL) has called decriminalization of drug offenses a "possibility worth
exploring," the Chicago Sun-Times reported this week.
Calling a spate of killings
on Chicago's South Side "a turf battle over drugs," Rush said the problem
could not be dealt with by concentrating on guns and gun legislation "in
isolation from the drug wars that are occurring in our streets."
Rush, a four-term veteran
who represents Chicago's South Side, has been active in some aspects of
criminal justice policy, such as juvenile justice and police brutality,
but has not previously broached the topic of decriminalization.
The former South Side alderman
entered electoral politics via the civil rights movement and was a co-founder
of the Illinois Black Panther Party in 1968. He is now chairman of the
Congressional Urban Caucus.
"There should be some open
discussions pro and con about this issue," Rush told the Sun-Times. "I
believe that somehow we've got to look at, at least have a discussion about
how do we take the profit out of drug use. And we've got to be bold about
it."
Rush's press secretary, Robin
Wheeler, told DRCNet that although Rush had not spoken out on drug policy
before, his comments were not a departure.
"It may not have been an
issue he touted before," she said, "but he's been prompted to put it on
the agenda because of the violence issue. All too often, drugs are at the
center of the violence, so you've got to look at drug policy."
Wheeler, however, was careful
to emphasize that the congressman called only for putting decriminalization
on the table for discussion and he was not taking a stance in favor of
decriminalization as a policy position.
Rep. Rush will host the Emergency
Black Leadership Summit in Chicago on July 22nd. According to a press release
from the congressman's office, the aim of the conference is to "end the
devastating killing in the black community."
Wheeler told DRCNet that
decriminalization will be discussed at the conference.
-- END --
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Issue #146, 7/21/00
Hemispheric Rights Group Intervenes in "Drug Kingpin" Death Penalty Case, Cites US Violation of International Agreements | Interview with Mike Farrell: Movie Payola, Death Penalty | California Medical Marijuana Moves Ahead on Two Fronts | Study Says Marijuana Doesn't Interfere with AIDS Drugs, Scientific First Comes After Years-Long Battle With Government Health Honchos | Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush Puts Decriminalization "On The Table" | Columbian Fusarium Conundrum: Colombia Accepts/Rejects (choose one) US Biowar Plan | All the News That Fits: The New York Times and Colombia | Peru Blows Suspected Smugglers Out of the Sky, Again | Boston Study Finds Racial Disparities in Drug Cases | Buprenorphine Bill Passes House | AlertS -- Federal and State: Colombia, Meth Bill/Free Speech, Mandatory Minimums, California, New York, Washington | Alert -- International: Russian Federation Calling for Expulsion of Radical Party from United Nations | Job Opportunity in Minneapolis: Women With A Point | Event Calendar | Do You Read the Week Online?
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