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You Don't Need Drug Laws to Punish People Who Steal
The idea that our drug policy should prioritize public health over law enforcement is such common sense that even the drug czar is comfortable saying it. Yet Warren County, OH prosecutor Rachel Hutzel has bravely attempted to refute this emerging conventional wisdom in a perfectly incoherent editorial entitled Many drug offenders need punishment, not just treatment:
Many thefts are committed to get drug money. The majority of traffic-related deaths are drug or alcohol-related. And personal crimes such as child endangering and domestic violence are usually fueled by drugs or alcohol.
â¦
Many drug crimes should continue to be dealt with harshly. The people who are harmed by the selfish, destructive acts of drug users and drug dealers deserve nothing less.
Wait, I didn't hear anyone say anything about not punishing thieves, drunk drivers, and child endangerers. I'm pretty sure everyone's in agreement about that. If someone steals, can't you prosecute them for stealing? Am I missing something?
The abundance of crimes with actual victims is all the more reason to stop wasting criminal justice resources on people whose only crime was taking a drug that isn't allowed.
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Police Raid Innocent Elderly Couple, Blame it on the Weather
Police in Indianapolis burst into the wrong and terrified an elderly couple, but they have an explanation:
I've heard a lot of weak excuses for botched drug raids, but this is just classic. As is often the case in such scenarios, the explanation serves only to make police sound even more confused and incompetent than they already did.
Seriously, if you can't even see what you're doing, then don't burst into private homes with your guns drawn. A word of advice to the Mintons: you should sue these people silly. The admission that their vision was obstructed at the time of the raid, though utterly disingenuous, is tantamount to gross negligence. I'd just love to see them on the stand trying to explain this.
Officers were trying to serve a warrant for a man wanted on drug charges. The address listed on the paperwork was 4042. The Mintonâs home is 4048, with both house numbers clearly marked.
But Major Mark Robinett of the Marion County Sheriffâs Department, who is in charge of warrant sweeps, said he was told that officers had a difficult time reading the addresses because of overcast skies.
I've heard a lot of weak excuses for botched drug raids, but this is just classic. As is often the case in such scenarios, the explanation serves only to make police sound even more confused and incompetent than they already did.
Seriously, if you can't even see what you're doing, then don't burst into private homes with your guns drawn. A word of advice to the Mintons: you should sue these people silly. The admission that their vision was obstructed at the time of the raid, though utterly disingenuous, is tantamount to gross negligence. I'd just love to see them on the stand trying to explain this.
Event
Medical Cannabis Resource Center: TV Show Filming and Patient MeetUp
Please join us for our monthly filming and meeting.
For more information, call 503-363-4588 or visit http://mercycenters.org/tv/.
In The Trenches
Your Ideas on Prison/Reentry Needed by Candidate for Georgia Governor
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 Chronicle
Reseña de la Crónica: "God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre" de Richard Grant (2008, Free Press, 288 págs., US$ 15,00, en rústica)
Actualmente, el tesoro de la Sierra Madre no es el oro, sino la marihuana y el opio. Además, parece que nadie allà siente la necesidad de alguna maldita placa, ni siquiera los policÃas. En "<em>God's Middle Finger</em>" [El dedo medio de Dios], el periodista Richard Grant se embarca en una aventura salvaje por la cordillera. ¿Está cansado de los libros viejos y secos sobre las polÃticas de drogas? Lea éste para mudar de ritmo.
Chronicle
Estudiantes: ¡Hagan sus prácticas en DRCNet y ayuden a detener la guerra a las drogas!
¡Postule a prácticas en DRCNet y puede pasar un semestre luchando por una buena causa!
Chronicle
Semanal: Blogueando en el Bar Clandestino
âSentencian a Charlie Lynch a prisión por marihuana medicinalâ, âSenado de Rhode Island vota por inaugurar dispensarios de marihuana medicinalâ, âRedadas antidrogas en direcciones equivocadas no son cosa de risaâ, âCongreso de EE. UU. pide a Ministerio de Justicia que explique mejor polÃtica para marihuana medicinalâ, âNo más $$$ = No más prisionesâ, âEl <em>khat</em> es una planta inofensiva. ¿Entonces por qué intentar prohibirla?â, âHolder reitera promesa de respetar legislación sobre marihuana medicinalâ, âRobots antidrogas no son la respuestaâ, âMalos policÃas captados en vÃdeoâ, âCámara canadiense aprueba proyecto antidelincuencia con mÃnimas obligatorias para marihuana y otros delitos de drogasâ.
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Semanal: Esta semana en la historia
Los sucesos y citas de nota de los eventos de polÃticas de drogas de esta semana de los años anteriores.
Chronicle
Por favor: ¡No dispare!
El asesinato de Tarika Wilson, una madre desarmada que sujetaba a su hijo, quien terminó lisiado, es una consecuencia inevitable del empleo excesivo de equipos SWAT y la paramilitarización cada vez mayor de la lucha contra la droga.
Chronicle
Prohibición: Senador republicano pide la ilegalización del tabaco
Ayer, mientras el Senado debatÃa el proyecto de reglamentación del tabaco de la FDA, un senador republicano llamó a sus colegas hipócritas y les instó a que fueran a favor de la prohibición total. ¿Será que era solamente afectación?
In The Trenches
Help Us Reform Marijuana Laws in Breckenridge
Help Legalize Marijuana in Breckenridge!
Sensible Breckenridge, a local reform group working with Sensible Colorado, recently began gathering signatures to remove criminal penalties for adult marijuana possession under the Breckenridge City Code.
This prestigious group, led by Breckenridge Town Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron and local attorney Sean McAllister, needs YOUR help gathering signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2009 ballot. Signature gathering started last week, and the group must turn in 1000 signatures by July 13 to make the ballot.
In addition to removing criminal penalties for the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and older, the ordinance would also remove adult paraphernalia penalties.
If you wish to volunteer, please call 970-453-6594 or email [email protected].
To learn more about Sensible Colorado's work, or to donate to this important cause, check out our website at www.sensiblecolorado.org.
In The Trenches
Drug Truth 06/23/09
The Unvarnished Truth From the Drug Truth Network
Century of Lies for 06/21/09, 29:00 Allan Clear, Exec. Dir. of the Harm Reduction Coalition on what we have wrought & Chris Hermes of Americans for Safe Access on "land mark decision" on medical marijuana + "World's Most Intersting Man" III
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=node/2463
TRANSCRIPT: TBD
Cultural Baggage for 06/17/09, 29:00 Casper Leitch, producer and host of Time4Hemp.com, discusses history of his efforts + Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project on the legislatures over ride of the governors veto in Rhode Island & more
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=node/2462
TRANSCRIPT: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=node/2462#comments
4:20 Drug War NEWS, 6/22 to 6/28/09 Link at www.drugtruth.net on the right margin - Sun - Mike Gray, chair of CSDP's OpEd in Time Union/Albany NY Sat - Allan Clear, Exec. Dir of Harm Reduction Coaltion Fri - Chris Hermes, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access on landmark decision for medical marijuana Thu - Bruce Mirken of MPP vs. Terrence Farley on CNBC 2/2 Wed - Bruce Mirken of MPP vs. Terrence Farley on CNBC Tue - Vancouver Sun: "SUPPRESSED REPORT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT DRUG POLICY"
Mon - Nicholas D. Kristof of the NY Times, is 40 years of drug war enough?
Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston, 90.1 FM. You can Listen Live Online at www.kpft.org
- Century of Lies, SUN, 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT: NEXT: TBD
- Cultural Baggage WED, 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 CT, 10:30 MT & 9:30 AM PT: NEXT: Moises Naim, Editor Foreign Policy Magazine
Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org We have potcasts, searchability, CMS, XML, sorts by guest name and by organization. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US, Canada and Australia! We now feature TRANSCRIPTS of most of our programs again!
Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, DTN Producer, 713-849-6869, www.drugtruth.net