Love Trumps Hate in United States!
I read that Tea Party members shouted "the "n-word!" at former civil rights leader and current Atlanta Congressman, John Lewis during a protest in DC.
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In The Trenches
Sting: Let's End the War on Drugs
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Dear friends, Whether it's music, activism or daily life, the one ideal to which I have always aspired is constant challenge -- taking risks, stepping out of my comfort zone, exploring new ideas. I am writing because I believe the United States -- and all of us -- must do precisely that in the case of what has been the most unsuccessful, unjust yet untouchable issue in politics: the war on drugs. The war on drugs has failed -- but it's worse than that. It is actively harming our society. That is why ending the drug war is a matter of social justice. And it's why I hope you'll donate to the Drug Policy Alliance today. Violent crime is thriving in the shadows to which the drug trade has been consigned. People who genuinely need help can't get it. Neither can people who need medical marijuana to treat terrible diseases. We are spending billions, filling up our prisons with non-violent offenders and sacrificing our liberties. For too long, the war on drugs has been a sacrosanct undertaking that was virtually immune from criticism in the public realm. Politicians dared not disagree for fear of being stigmatized as "soft on crime." Any activist who spoke up was dismissed as a fringe element. But recently, I discovered just how much that's changing -- and that's how I came to speak out on behalf of the Drug Policy Alliance. Join me in supporting them with a donation today. I learned of DPA while reading what once might have been the unlikeliest of places for a thoughtful discussion, the Wall Street Journal. It featured an op-ed that dared to say in print -- in a thoughtful, meticulous argument -- what everyone who has seriously looked at the issue has known for years: the war on drugs is an absolute failure whose cost to society is increasingly unbearable and absolutely unjustifiable. Their work spoke directly to my heart as an activist for social justice -- because ending the war on drugs is about exactly that. To me, it all adds up to a clear message of exactly the sort I've always tried to heed in my life: It's time to step out of our comfort zone and try something new. That's where DPA comes in. Their focus is on reducing the harm drugs cause rather than obsessively and pointlessly attempting to ban them. I hope you'll assist their work by donating today. I'm partnering with DPA because they champion treatment, advocate effective curricula for educating young people about drugs -- and from local courtrooms to the Supreme Court, they are utterly relentless defenders of the liberties that have been sacrificed to the drug war. Now, political conditions in Washington seem finally to be aligning in favor of profound change in drug policy. But success is far from guaranteed. We must all work to ensure this issue becomes a priority and is acted upon in a meaningful and sensible way. That's why I hope you'll join me in becoming a member of the Drug Policy Alliance today. We are building a movement that will put the team at DPA in a position to take maximum advantage of the political changes in Washington while continuing to fight for sanity in drug policy across the nation. Everyone knows the war on drugs has failed. It's time to step out of our comfort zones, acknowledge the truth -- and challenge our leaders ... and ourselves ... to change. Sincerely,
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Drug Cartels Are Terrified of Marijuana Legalization
The laws against their products just make them rich. The threat of being killed or imprisoned just gives them a rush. Their reputation for ruthlessness just gets them laid. The cartels truly have only one thing to fear and that is the day when their monopoly is destroyed:
See, this is the mental exercise everyone needs to perform. If you're undecided about legalization, then try to put the politics aside for a moment and just think for yourself about what legalization would mean for the cartels. They have to lose something don't they? Let's please stop acting like this is an all-or-nothing proposition. If we can take some money from the cartels, that's awesome. We don't have to destroy them to make it worthwhile; we need only save a few lives from the cartels' brutal violence to achieve a massive victory.
Anyone who hates drug cartels owes it to themselves to muster the courage and curiosity to give this a chance.
Legalizing marijuana wouldn't end the criminal drug trade and its violence. Addicts still would crave heroin, cocaine and other hard narcotics. But decriminalizing [he must mean legalizing] marijuana would be a body blow to drug cartels. Half the annual income for Mexico's violent drug smugglers comes from marijuana, one Mexican official told the Wall Street Journal last year. Imagine how many smugglers and street-corner reefer hustlers would be put out of business. [Chicago Sun-Times]
See, this is the mental exercise everyone needs to perform. If you're undecided about legalization, then try to put the politics aside for a moment and just think for yourself about what legalization would mean for the cartels. They have to lose something don't they? Let's please stop acting like this is an all-or-nothing proposition. If we can take some money from the cartels, that's awesome. We don't have to destroy them to make it worthwhile; we need only save a few lives from the cartels' brutal violence to achieve a massive victory.
Anyone who hates drug cartels owes it to themselves to muster the courage and curiosity to give this a chance.
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Illegal Growers Are Terrified of Marijuana Legalization
This fascinating AP story really nails a dimension of the legalization discussion that is rarely understood or acknowledged in the press:
Funny how the "threat of legalization" means such different things to different people. If anyone still doesn't understand how legalization will impact the black market, well, try asking the black market what it thinks. These people are freaking out and you really shouldnât need an advanced degree in economics to understand why that is.
This is the reality that legalization's opponents are incapable of addressing. The marijuana economy already exists and the debate over taxation and regulation is merely a question of how the industry will be structured. This is not a matter of whether or not California should have marijuana. California already has more marijuana than it knows what to do with.
A vote against legalization is a vote for illegal growers and dealers. And they thank you for your support, as always.
If California legalizes marijuana, they say, it will drive down the price of their crop and damage not just their livelihoods but the entire economy along the state's rugged northern coast.
Local residents are so worried that pot farmers came together with officials in Humboldt County for a standing-room-only meeting Tuesday night where civic leaders, activists and growers brainstormed ideas for dealing with the threat.
Funny how the "threat of legalization" means such different things to different people. If anyone still doesn't understand how legalization will impact the black market, well, try asking the black market what it thinks. These people are freaking out and you really shouldnât need an advanced degree in economics to understand why that is.
This is the reality that legalization's opponents are incapable of addressing. The marijuana economy already exists and the debate over taxation and regulation is merely a question of how the industry will be structured. This is not a matter of whether or not California should have marijuana. California already has more marijuana than it knows what to do with.
A vote against legalization is a vote for illegal growers and dealers. And they thank you for your support, as always.
In The Trenches
We're Not Giving Up!
Call Congress Today! |
Dear Friends,
Over the past year you all have scored some huge national victories. Not least among them helping to convince our long-time opponent Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) to scale back the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty that he created over a decade ago. Â
As you probably already know, in September 2009, The House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), which included language that would repeal the Aid Elimination Penalty for students convicted of drug possession offenses. Â
Since we know that many distribution cases are pleaded down to simple possession, this change will reinstate financial aid to a large number of students who would otherwise be affected by Souder's amendment. Â Â
Last week Congress was poised to include the entirety of the SAFRA legislation into the health care reconciliation bill, including our provision. But I have some unfortunate news. According to the rules of the now famous reconciliation process, amendments that directly change policy, as ours does, are subject to votes that require a 60 percent majority. So, in the eleventh hour, our amendment was taken out of the bill for procedural reasons. Â
The good news is that this turn of events does not represent a lack of political will on the part of our allies in Congress . With leading Democrats devoted to changing this horrible provision - and with your letters and phone calls - I still believe we will successfully amend the Aid Elimination Penalty by the end of 2010. We'll need to keep up the pressure, but I have every confidence that these recent events only delayed our inevitable victory.Â
Sincerely,Â
Matthew Palevsky
Acting Executive Director
Students for Sensible Drug PolicyÂ
P.S. Do you want SSDP to continue pressuring Congress to ensure financial aid for students? If so, help us by making a donation today so that we can hire a policy director to keep the pressure on our elected representatives in Washington.
In The Trenches
Disenfranchisement News: Democracy Restoration Act - For and Against
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An Argument to Avoid Making, Part 2
Whenever I explain why I think reformers should avoid suggesting that politicians benefit from supporting "tough on crime" policies, I get some incredulous responses. It's true that you can still find politicians sucking up to law enforcement, embracing bad drug policies everywhere all the time, and generally believing that doing so serves their political interests. If I ever sounded like I was questioning any of those realities, it's my fault for not being clearer.
My point isn't so much that politicians never benefit in any way from doing these things, but rather that it's less true than it used to be and that we shouldn't be reinforcing that belief if we want political support. Just a few years ago, everywhere I looked, I saw reformers complaining publicly that politicians wouldn't support our cause because it might cost them votes. I saw prominent journalists like Joe Klein at Time Magazine calling for legalization and then in the next breath giving politicians a great reason to oppose it:
See, this is the kind of thing that supporters of reform shouldn't be saying. This is why I've been arguing for years that we should always emphasize the potential political benefits of taking our side rather than lamenting the possible harms. For example:
Bad = "Politicians won't support ending the drug war because they're afraid of losing votes."
Good = "Politicians are starting to get the message that the drug war isn't as popular anymore."
Am I making sense here?
My point isn't so much that politicians never benefit in any way from doing these things, but rather that it's less true than it used to be and that we shouldn't be reinforcing that belief if we want political support. Just a few years ago, everywhere I looked, I saw reformers complaining publicly that politicians wouldn't support our cause because it might cost them votes. I saw prominent journalists like Joe Klein at Time Magazine calling for legalization and then in the next breath giving politicians a great reason to oppose it:
â¦the default fate of any politician who publicly considers the legalization of marijuana is to be cast into the outer darkness. Such a person is assumed to be stoned all the time, unworthy of being taken seriously. Such a person would be lacerated by the assorted boozehounds and pill poppers of talk radio.
See, this is the kind of thing that supporters of reform shouldn't be saying. This is why I've been arguing for years that we should always emphasize the potential political benefits of taking our side rather than lamenting the possible harms. For example:
Bad = "Politicians won't support ending the drug war because they're afraid of losing votes."
Good = "Politicians are starting to get the message that the drug war isn't as popular anymore."
Am I making sense here?
In The Trenches
4 Stars Drug Truth 03/29/10
Cultural Baggage * Century of Lies * 4:20 Drug War NEWS
Cultural Baggage for 03/28/10 29:00 ***** Adrian Garcia, sheriff of Harris County Texas discusses failings of drug war, need for change (our most meaningful program yet!)
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/2841
TRANSCRIPT: TBD
Century of Lies for 03/28/10 29:00 Neill Franklin, working Maryland cop & the new director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition + Mason Tvert of Safer Choice, Sanho Tree of Institute for Policy Studies in Wash DC
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/2842
TRANSCRIPT: TBD
4:20 Drug War NEWS, 03/29 to 04/04/10 Link at www.drugtruth.net on the right margin -
Sun - Sanho Tree of Institute for Policy Studies analyzes US-Mexican efforts in drug war Sat - Dr. Rick Doblin, president of Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Fri - Adrian Garcia, sheriff of Harris County 3/3 Thu - Adrian Garcia, sheriff of Harris County 2/3 Wed - Adrian Garcia, sheriff of Harris County (Houston) discusses failings of drug war 1/3 Tue - Cannabis Planet TV alligns with NASCAR + Tax Cannabis 2010 radio ad Mon - Mason Tvert of SAFER Choice discusses NFL's fear of marijuana smokers .
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 to "Face The Inquisition?": TBD
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. 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 72 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
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