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Sarah Palin and the Marijuana Legalization Debate
These comments from Sarah Palin last week are continuing to generate discussion:
"If we're talking about pot, I'm not for the legalization of pot, because I think that would just encourage our young people to think that it was OK to go ahead and use it and I'm not an advocate for that.
However, I think we need to prioritize our law enforcement efforts. And if somebody is going to smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and clean up some of the other problems we have in society that are appropriate for law enforcement to do and not concentrate on such a, relatively speaking, minimal problem that we have in the country."
Mike Huckabee responded with a bizarre joke about Palin doing cocaine on TV, and Ryan McNeely has a good piece addressing the absurdity of defending marijuana laws while simultaneously asking that they not be enforced. Unfortunately, The Economist departed from its typically superb drug policy coverage with a strange defense of Palin's remarks:
Basically, while Sarah Palin's position on this issue, as on many others, is semi-deliberately incoherent, it is in this case a semi-deliberate incoherence that has proven to be effective policy in many countries, and I'm not even sure it's the wrong stance on the issue.
The full argument is too rambling to quote (see for yourself), but the author's point is that marijuana isn't really even legal in the Netherlands, so maybe there's no need to legalize here either. It might make sense if we didn't have a massive blood-thirsty drug war army literally occupying our cities. Prohibition is a for-profit industry in America. It sustains itself through a vast campaign of propaganda and intimidation, and I doubt the solution is as simple as asking these guys to please calm down.
The warriors who invade private homes in bulletproof bodysuits and murder small dogs for having the audacity to bark at them are not responsive to pleas for a more measured enforcement model. That the law authorizes their actions is the go-to excuse when their machine guns go off prematurely, and until that changes, neither will anything else.
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Nevertheless, the fact that Palin was able to create such a flurry of dialogue with a few casual comments is testament to her potency as an advocate for whatever half-measures she's willing to stand for. And the fact that FOX News is now employing people who will keep posing these questions to prominent political figures is pretty cool, too.
Blog
Supporting Harsh Drug Laws is Political Suicide in NY
Now that New York's famous Rockefeller drug laws have been scaled back, the issue is being used as a political weapon against those who failed to support reform:
You couldnât ask for a better example of how quickly drug war politics are evolving. For decades, our political culture has clung to the conventional wisdom that endorsing drug law reform was instant career suicide. Now we're beginning to see candidates getting burned for failing to endorse reform.
That doesn't mean you can now get elected president on a meth legalization platform, but it should come as a harsh warning to any elected official who thinks they can still sell voters on stupid anti-drug stereotypes from the Reagan years. Certain reform issues now enjoy majority public support and others are surging in that direction.
If you're not ready to embrace and champion reform, that's one thing, but it should at least be clear that shrouding yourself proudly in the drug war battle-flag is no longer a smart campaign strategy.
For many Democrats in Albany, it was a landmark achievement: the long-sought overhaul of New Yorkâs strict Rockefeller-era drug laws, repealing mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders that critics said disproportionately and unfairly fell on blacks and Latinos.
But that legislative victory last year has emerged as a litmus test in the increasingly bitter five-way Democratic primary battle for attorney general.
â¦
"The reforms resonate powerfully in the African-American community," said David S. Birdsell, dean of the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College. "It is also a signature piece of progressive legislation for an increasingly large part of the Democratic primary base. It's a litmus test for progressive voters and an appeal to a group that was disproportionately harmed by the old laws." [NYT]
You couldnât ask for a better example of how quickly drug war politics are evolving. For decades, our political culture has clung to the conventional wisdom that endorsing drug law reform was instant career suicide. Now we're beginning to see candidates getting burned for failing to endorse reform.
That doesn't mean you can now get elected president on a meth legalization platform, but it should come as a harsh warning to any elected official who thinks they can still sell voters on stupid anti-drug stereotypes from the Reagan years. Certain reform issues now enjoy majority public support and others are surging in that direction.
If you're not ready to embrace and champion reform, that's one thing, but it should at least be clear that shrouding yourself proudly in the drug war battle-flag is no longer a smart campaign strategy.
Event
Bay Area Drug Policy Reform Mixer
It's summertime! Come mingle with your fellow drug policy reformers. We'll mainly be hanging out at the tables out front of Van Kleef's, but there's a whole bar inside too...
YOUR HOSTS:
Event
Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users Fundraising Dinner
PLease join us at the VANDU Fundraiser Dinner for the BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors
Program:
7:00pm-8:00pm Drinks & Appetizers
8:00pm-10:00pm Dinner & Program
In The Trenches
Awesome Police Dept. Teaches Citizens to Flex Their Rights
Dear friends, You and I are well-trained to refuse certain police requests. But when I was approached by Columbia, MO Police Chief Ken Burton the other month, I was happy to consent. Within weeks, a new report was released showing that in 2009 black motorists in Columbia were 127% more likely to be stopped than white motorists. At a public forum hosted by NAACP and other groups concerned about racial profiling, Chief Burton put 10 Rules to work. The Columbia Daily Tribune editorialized in favor of the event, specifically citing 10 Rules. State NAACP President Mary Ratliff called the video "a powerful teaching tool for both sides" and urged its wide distribution. This is quite a coming-together. Ratliff has been critical of police in their confrontations with black people, and police have defended themselves in standoffs typically without a mutually agreeable resolution. The video gives both sides a way to communicate outside the context of a traumatic incident and might help subjects avoid trouble with the police. The police department deserves credit for taking action to bridge the understanding gap, and Ratliff deserves similar credit for responding positively. This is a big deal, and I commend both parties. Letâs follow Chief Burton and Mary Ratliff's lead! If you or someone you know has a friendly relationship with your local police chief, why not give them a 10 Rules DVD and a copy of the Daily Tribune editorial? (Enter coupon code "10RULES4COPS" to get $5.00 off your DVD order between now and July 7.) Letâs create hundreds of police-led screenings across the country! Sincerely, Steve
  P.S. If you support this public education work, please consider making a small or large tax-deductible donation online. You may also send a check donation (made out to Flex Your Rights) to P.O. Box 21497, Washington, DC 20009. |
In The Trenches
Take Action Update: Your Calls Were Heard! Now Make One More
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In The Trenches
Today is National Call-In Day: Support the Webb Criminal Justice Commission
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In The Trenches
Drug Truth 06/23/10
Cultural Baggage * Century of Lies * 4:20 Drug War NEWS
Cultural Baggage for 06/20/10 29:00 Otis McLay guest hosts, Eric Sterling president of Criminal Justice Policy Foundation is guest
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/2947
TRANSCRIPT: Wed
Century of Lies for 06/20/10 29:00 Eric Sterling former counsel for US judiciary committee discusses mechanism of drug policy with guest host Otis McLay
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/2948
TRANSCRIPT: Thu
4:20 Drug War NEWS, 06/21 to 06/27/20 Link at www.drugtruth.net on the right margin -
Sun - Host Otis McLay interview of Eric Sterling re progress in the hundred year war Sat - Eric Sterling of CJPF.org re US admin policy on drugs Fri - Eric Sterling re treatment system scams Thu - Eric Sterling of Criminal Justice Policy Foundation on implementation of mandatory minimums Wed - John Stossel goes to bat for drug reform on FOX Tue - Stephen Betzen of Texas Coalition for Compassionate Care re hoped for med marijuana bill Mon - Mary Jane Borden of Drug War Facts on marijuana use for MS & cancer
Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston, 90.1 FM. You can Listen Live Online at www.kpft.org
- Cultural Baggage Sun, 7:30 PM ET, 6:30 PM CT, 5:30 PM MT, 4:30 PM PT
- Century of Lies, SUN, 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT
Who's Next?": TBD
Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and now at James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. http://www.bakerinstitute.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. You can tune into both our 1/2 hour programs, live, at 6:30 central time on Pacifica's KPFT at http://www.kpft.org and call in your questions and concerns toll free at 1-877-9-420 420.
The two, 29:00 shows appear along with the seven, daily, 3:00 "4:20 Drug War NEWS" reports each Monday morning at http://www.drugtruth.net . We currently have 74 affiliated, yet independent broadcast stations. With a simple email request to [email protected] , your station can join the Drug Truth Network, free of charge.
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, 713-462-7981, www.drugtruth.net
In The Trenches
IDPI: ACTION ALERT: Today is National Call-In Day
Dear Friends of the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative:
We are excited to pass along this action alert from a coalition of organizations we are a part of pushing for national criminal justice reform. We are working on lots of important projects and will update you soon about our progress. In the meantime, please take action today and tell Senate Leadership to pass the National Criminal Justice Commission Act!
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TODAY is National Call-In Day:Â Tell Senate Leadership to pass the National Criminal Justice Commission Act!
BACKGROUND INFO:
In 2009, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and 15 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, S. 714, legislation that would create a bipartisan Commission to review and identify effective criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform. The Senate Judiciary Committee has reviewed and favorably passed the bill and it is now awaiting passage out of the United States Senate. Please help us urge Senate Leadership to prioritize and pass this important legislation as soon as possible!
ACTION NEEDED:
Please call the following Senators today to ask them to prioritize and support Senate passage of the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, S. 714, as soon as possible:
--Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), 202-224-3542
--Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 202-224-3135
--Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL), 202-224-9447
MESSAGE:
I am calling to ask the Senator to prioritize and support immediate Senate passage of S. 714, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, because:
--Having a transparent and bipartisan Commission review and identify effective criminal justice policies would increase public safety.
--The increase in incarceration over the past twenty years has stretched the system beyond its limits. These high costs to taxpayers are unsustainable, especially during these times of economic downturn.
--The proposed commission would conduct a comprehensive national review - not audits of individual state systems - and would issue recommendations - not mandates - for consideration.
Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions. Thank you for making these important calls!
In The Trenches
Take Action TODAY: National Call-in Day
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Blog
Ethan Nadelmann Destroys Bill O'Reilly in Drug War Debate
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up:
As I've said in the past, we should be nothing short of thrilled that Bill O'Reilly is as big a drug war idiot as he is. Sure, he has his devotees, but an awful lot of people form their political identity around believing the opposite of anything he says. O'Reilly's recent obsession with trashing Sting and the Drug Policy Alliance is exposing his audience to ideas you won't often hear on primetime FOX News programming.
Hopefully, getting schooled by Ethan hasn't dampened O'Reilly's enthusiasm for ranting mindlessly about drugs.
As I've said in the past, we should be nothing short of thrilled that Bill O'Reilly is as big a drug war idiot as he is. Sure, he has his devotees, but an awful lot of people form their political identity around believing the opposite of anything he says. O'Reilly's recent obsession with trashing Sting and the Drug Policy Alliance is exposing his audience to ideas you won't often hear on primetime FOX News programming.
Hopefully, getting schooled by Ethan hasn't dampened O'Reilly's enthusiasm for ranting mindlessly about drugs.
Blog
Radley Balko Discusses Botched Drug Raids on FOX
John Stossel's new show on Fox Business Network is off to an impressive start with an hour-long assault on prohibition titled Drug War Disaster. Here's a segment featuring Radley Balko and Cheye Calvo:
You can (and should) watch the entire episode here. At the very least, check out the opening segment in which Stossel crushes Sean Hannity in a drug policy debate. It's truly priceless.
You can (and should) watch the entire episode here. At the very least, check out the opening segment in which Stossel crushes Sean Hannity in a drug policy debate. It's truly priceless.
Blog
Government-Sponsored Murder in the Name of Prohibition
This fascinating piece in Slate recalls the government's seldom-discussed effort to enforce alcohol prohibition by poisoning people:
It's a nightmarish tale of prohibitionist lunacy that's worth reading in its entirety. Government officials were viciously calculating in their actions and callously blamed naïve drinkers for the consequences.
Today, prohibition kills people in different, yet equally abhorrent and unnecessary ways. Its advocates continue to deny responsibility for the predictable and inevitable consequences of the policies they defend and the death toll has grown to incalculable proportions, spanning the globe. The drug war leaves sickness and murder in its wake at every turn, yet many among us remain blind to the lessons learned nearly a century ago.
Frustrated that people continued to consume so much alcohol even after it was banned, federal officials had decided to try a different kind of enforcement. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. The idea was to scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the federal poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people.
It's a nightmarish tale of prohibitionist lunacy that's worth reading in its entirety. Government officials were viciously calculating in their actions and callously blamed naïve drinkers for the consequences.
Today, prohibition kills people in different, yet equally abhorrent and unnecessary ways. Its advocates continue to deny responsibility for the predictable and inevitable consequences of the policies they defend and the death toll has grown to incalculable proportions, spanning the globe. The drug war leaves sickness and murder in its wake at every turn, yet many among us remain blind to the lessons learned nearly a century ago.
Blog
StoptheDrugWar.org on Huffington Post
I have started blogging on Huffington Post. Check out my first post there, SWAT Raids: No One Is Safe. This is a basic statement laying out the case for why SWAT deployments are now out-of-control and need to be dramatically reined in.
Sadly, even more outrageous and infuriating evidence of the need for SWAT to be reined in has already come out, as Scott's latest post here last night demonstrates.
If you'd like to follow me on Huffington Post on a regular basis, visit my page there to make use one of the subscription options -- make sure to "like" the page on Facebook too. I will also be writing more editorials over the coming months in our own Drug War Chronicle newsletter; check out the latest one if you haven't already, here.