Victim’s Rights in the War on Drugs
Pete Guither pointed out the other day that the Republican platform contains this vague statement on victim’s rights:
The innocent have far fewer rights than the accused. We call on Congress to correct this imbalance by sending to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment to protect the rights of crime victims.
I wonder if such a law would protect victims of armed robbery when police search their home, arrest them for marijuana, confiscate even more of their money than the robbers did, and ultimately decline to investigate the initial robbery for which they were called in the first place.
Victim’s rights is an interesting idea. Let’s talk about it after we end the drug war.
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redditdrug war
Comment posted by consfearacy on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 11:33pm- consfearacy
You can`t have a war without an enemy. Who did the government decide to classify as the enemy? Its own citizens of course. Keep it local and make everyone pay for it. Aren`t we having fun!?
Constitutional Amendment?
Comment posted by Giordano on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 1:43am…to protect the rights of crime victims? Why would anyone need a new constitutional amendment to protect the rights of crime victims? What are the Republicans planning to introduce that isn’t constitutional already?
It might be a hoax. The fact they’ve chosen the most difficult legislative path possible to enact new protection laws could mean McCain/Palin and the Republicans really don’t expect to change anything at all in terms of crime victims’ rights.
The new amendment might also be just more Republican gift wrapping on diseased fruit like the Patriot Act. Perhaps the amendment at its core eliminates existing civil rights as a means of reducing the rights of the accused. That would make more sense coming from the Republicans, and it would explain the need for a constitutional amendment.
Giordano
Cops as robbers
Comment posted by rita on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 5:27amIn the last 10 years, I have been robbed at gunpoint, not once, but 3 times -- by the police.
My private property has been invaded and vandalized; my personal belongings taken and destroyed; my car stolen -- by the police.
I've seen grown men in riot gear -- the police -- point assault rifles at 5- and 7-year-old children; one brave officer even stuck his gun in the face of a one-year-old.
I have been threatened and intimidated; my friends beaten, Taser'd and murdered -- by the police.
They did this to protect me, you understand, from dangerous drugs. Or was it to protect me from dangerous drug users, who might steal my TV to trade for drugs? I keep forgetting.