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Are There Any Good Guys in the Mexican Drug War?
Reporting from Mexico City - The dead drug lord lay on his back, blood-soaked jeans yanked down to the knees. Mexican peso notes carpeted his bullet-torn body, and U.S. $100 bills formed neat rows next to his bared belly.
â¦
Even in a country where pictures of gruesome crime scenes routinely show up on the front pages of newspapers, the Beltran Leyva images have stirred controversy over who staged the tableau and whether Mexican authorities did so to send a taunting message to the rest of his powerful drug trafficking gang.
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"It is the state forces that adopted the basic language of the narco," columnist Luis Petersen Farah wrote in the Milenio newspaper. " 'There's your money,' the photograph seems to say. It's the language of war." [LA Times]
There's something deeply unsettling about watching the Mexican military mimic the intimidation tactics of the drug lords. Finding peace is simply not on the agenda anymore.
How Come White People Never Get Arrested for Marijuana in NYC?
Even though surveys show they are part of the demographic group that makes the heaviest use of pot, white people in New York are the least likely to be arrested for it.
Last year, black New Yorkers were seven times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession and no more serious crime. Latinos were four times more likely. [NYT]
You can't explain away a gaping disparity like that. This is not just a matter of cultural differences in marijuana using behavior. White people smoke herb in the streets of New York, too. There is no bigger factor at play here than the discretionary choices police make about who to approach and investigate. It really is that simple and that unfair.
But just because it's racist doesnât mean it's bad, says the city:
Mr. Bloombergâs chief criminal justice aide, John Feinblatt, declined to discuss the cityâs approach to marijuana arrests, or the findings of the study. But through a spokesman, he issued a statement maintaining the pot arrests have helped drive down violent crime.
Even if I believed that stopping a million people a year in the streets of New York is necessary to drive down violent crime, that still doesnât mean you have to arrest them when marijuana is discovered. None of this even begins to make any sense, and it comes as no surprise that city officials are loathe to attempt an explanation for it.
If you want to reduce violent crime, try legalizing marijuana so there's one less thing to fight over.
Disenfranchisement News: 2009 In Review
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Remember: Your holiday wish
Dear friends:
A few weeks ago, I asked you to imagine a day when people can use marijuana without fear of arrest and prison.
A day when cancer and AIDS patients using marijuana to ease their pain aren't terrified of losing their homes if caught.
A day when marijuana is treated like alcohol and is taxed, regulated, and legal.
If you were waiting for the best possible moment to make your gift count, now is that moment. There's no doubt that 2009 has been the best year so far in the history of marijuana policy reform. But with the recent changes in marijuana laws in Washington, D.C., we can see that 2010 is going to be even bigger.
Here's how you can help make your holiday wish come true. Please select your wish from the list below, and your gift will help us to end marijuana prohibition for good. And if you give during the next nine days, a generous philanthropist will double it.
- My wish is for all medical marijuana patients to be able to get their medicine from a safe, legal dispensary. My gift: $25 (worth $50).
- My wish is to no longer have to fear the arrest and imprisonment of my friends and family who choose to use a substance safer than alcohol. My gift: $50 (worth $100).
- My wish is for the federal government to stop blocking the research needed to put marijuana through the FDA approval process. My gift: $100 (worth $200).
- My wish is to end marijuana prohibition, plain and simple. My gift: $1,000 (worth $2,000).
David, this is our moment. We have to be ready. Now is the time to send your most generous gift.
Sincerely,
Rob KampiaExecutive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
Come Help End the War on Drugs!
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Come Help End the War on Drugs! | |||
AT some point, zillions of cyber-moments ago, I stumbled upon a goldmine of information called the Media Awareness Project. I was instantly 'hooked' and have enjoyed every moment I've spent learning my way through every volunteer position. I'd like to share with you some of my experiences in hopes that you'll find something that you might like to try. I have found there is just no better feeling than getting to the end of my day with the knowledge that I've contributed to ending the atrocity we call the War on Drugs. Of course, if you don't have time to donate, we're always in need of financial support, www.drugsense.org/donate. | |||
The first time I landed at mapinc.org I instantly agreed that writing letters to the editors of newspapers would not only help balance WOD coverage but would also let people know that they were not alone with their doubts about our failed drug policies. I followed some of the writing guidelines ( www.mapinc.org/resource/#guides ) and received ink fairly quickly. I was thrilled to see my name in print but realizing how this small effort would affect those who read it was even more rewarding. | |||
I hungrily started ripping through the burgeoning newspaper websites following our Newshawk guidelines, www.mapinc.org/hawk.htm. I must admit it was quite addictive as each appropriate article became my "fix" and seeing my name on the Newshawk line was the "high". These articles are posted to our fully searchable archives which supplies targets for our writers, is a fantastic research tool and ensures no one will ever be able to deny the inhumane treatment of so many people which occurs on a daily basis all across the world. Our senior editor, Richard Lake, noticed my activity and enthusiasm and invited me to join the MAP Editor family. He patiently walked me through the article processing tasks and we have been best "buds" ever since. One of our first projects was the development of an online, self-paced tutorial to allow new MAP Editors to learn how to get an article from our Newshawks to our archives. Not long after that I accepted the staff position of Membership Coordinator from which I am writing this message to you today. If you would like to help us contribute to changing our failed drug policies we would love to find a volunteer position to fit your schedule and talents. It doesn't matter where you are in location or skill level. Please take a moment to join our family by filling out our online volunteer form, www.mapinc.org/volunteers .
P.S. If you are considering a year end donation, don't forget that reforming drug policy through DrugSense as a 501(c)(3) non-profit is tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Donating is quick and easy. Just visit www.drugsense.org/donate. Checks can also be made payable to DrugSense and mailed to:
Or you can donate toll free by calling 1-800-266-5759. Donations can automatically repeating it every month, quarter, or half year as noted here www.drugsense.org/donate. Happy Holidays and Peace on Earth! | |||
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Drug Policy Alliance: Your Donation Will Be Matched
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A Christmas Carol
Drug Reform Groups Win $25,000 Facebook Contest, Get Rejected by Chase Bank
When Chase Bank announced a vote-based $5 million charitable give-away on Facebook, you can imagine the excitement that erupted among cash-strapped non-profits and their supporters. The idea was to let the public vote and decide democratically what charities deserve a little extra support in a tough economy. The top 100 vote-getters in the first round were to receive $25,000 each, and as you'd expect, drug policy groups performed quite well.
Unfortunately, Chase Bank didn't approve of some of the winners, so they changed the rules:
At least three nonprofit groups â Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Marijuana Policy Project and an anti-abortion group, Justice for Allâ say they believe that Chase disqualified them over concerns about associating its name with their missions.
The groups say that until Chase made changes to the contest, they appeared to be among the top 100 vote-getters.
"They never gave us any indication that there was any problem with our organization qualifying," said Micah Daigle, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. "Now theyâre completely stonewalling me." [NYT]
Clearly, Chase entered into this without fully appreciating the political implications of using new media as the centerpiece of a philanthropic PR campaign. The whole episode is now reminiscent of the public votes at Obama's Change.gov website, in which legalizing marijuana repeatedly became the most popular policy idea. If you go out of your way to give the public a voice, sometimes you'll be surprised by what you hear. But isnât that the point?
Of course, neither Chase Bank, nor the White House, bear any legal obligation to honor the political ideals they've solicited from the public. But that's not the issue here. The whole purpose of an online vote is, rather obviously, to create the appearance of genuine fairness, to let the people decide for themselves what matters most (as Chase boasted proudly in the contest's motto: âYou Decide What Mattersâ). By arbitrarily overturning the results, Chase irrevocably tarnishes the fundamental concept behind their effort and trivializes the exact public values the program was intended to respect and uphold.
By daring to reject drug policy organizations who'd obviously won the contest, Chase Bank sends an unambiguous message of disrespect to our movement. If they think this issue is politically volatile, they're absolutely right, but they picked the wrong side. Fixing our drug laws has become one of most prominent struggles at this moment in American politics, and it's a debate you can't simply opt out of while simultaneously draping yourself in the flag of online democracy.
If we're powerful enough to win in a fair fight, that means we can also burn those who cheat us. Our friends at SSDP won't be patronizing Chase Bank anytime soon, and I hope you'll join them.
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