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CAST,a bad idea but at least an idea
Vancouver has turfed it's controversial and often arrogant Mayor for the November election.In a surprise runoff for the candidacy of the NPA's leader,Peter Ladner has defeated Sam Sullivan.As a city c
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Stop Making Excuses and Go Watch 'The Wire'
It has come to my attention that many of you still haven't seen HBO's The Wire. This includes several people I otherwise generally admire and consider well informed. So, I've prepared a list of common excuses for not having seen The Wire and refuted them:
Excuse #1: I don't have HBO.
Response: Seasons 1-4 are available on DVD. And the show is over, so I'm not sure it's even airing anymore anyway. Rent it, dude.
Excuse #2: I'm not really that into TV shows.
Response: The Wire is so accurate and poignant that I'm not sure it even counts as TV. Besides, it doesnât have commercials.
Excuse #3: There were 5 seasons. How will I catch up?
Response: Really easily. It's the most captivating thing ever filmed. By the end of the 1st season, you'll understand. By the end of the 3rd, you'll have sent me a thank you note.
Excuse #4: I'm a hardworking drug reform activist/staffer. I work 50+ hours a week and just haven't gotten around to it.
Response: You suck. The Wire is the most realistic depiction of drug war policing and the politics of crime ever produced. It's far more accurate than the evening news. If this is what you're passionate about, then you must accept David Simon's glorious gift to our movement and bask in its brilliance. You'll learn 50 things you never saw in any drug policy book or blog.
Excuse #5: I hate cop shows.
Response: That's because you've never seen The Wire. This ain't Law & Order: Criminal Intent. You won't find Vincent D'Onofrio squirming around until everyone gets pissed off and waives their right to remain silent.
In conclusion, go watch The Wire. Start with season 1 and work your way through. It just gets better each season, so be patient if it doesn't blow your mind immediately. You will better understand the war on drugs, which will make you a better activist. And you'll be able to discuss the show without anyone ruining it by telling you who gets killed.
I'm not promising that the drug war will end if you watch The Wire, but I guarantee that it will continue until you do.
Excuse #1: I don't have HBO.
Response: Seasons 1-4 are available on DVD. And the show is over, so I'm not sure it's even airing anymore anyway. Rent it, dude.
Excuse #2: I'm not really that into TV shows.
Response: The Wire is so accurate and poignant that I'm not sure it even counts as TV. Besides, it doesnât have commercials.
Excuse #3: There were 5 seasons. How will I catch up?
Response: Really easily. It's the most captivating thing ever filmed. By the end of the 1st season, you'll understand. By the end of the 3rd, you'll have sent me a thank you note.
Excuse #4: I'm a hardworking drug reform activist/staffer. I work 50+ hours a week and just haven't gotten around to it.
Response: You suck. The Wire is the most realistic depiction of drug war policing and the politics of crime ever produced. It's far more accurate than the evening news. If this is what you're passionate about, then you must accept David Simon's glorious gift to our movement and bask in its brilliance. You'll learn 50 things you never saw in any drug policy book or blog.
Excuse #5: I hate cop shows.
Response: That's because you've never seen The Wire. This ain't Law & Order: Criminal Intent. You won't find Vincent D'Onofrio squirming around until everyone gets pissed off and waives their right to remain silent.
In conclusion, go watch The Wire. Start with season 1 and work your way through. It just gets better each season, so be patient if it doesn't blow your mind immediately. You will better understand the war on drugs, which will make you a better activist. And you'll be able to discuss the show without anyone ruining it by telling you who gets killed.
I'm not promising that the drug war will end if you watch The Wire, but I guarantee that it will continue until you do.
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Stop Making Excuses and Go Watch 'The Wire'
It's come to my attention that many of you still haven't seen HBO's The Wire. This includes several people I otherwise generally admire and consider well informed.
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People are Getting Themselves Arrested Just So They Can Sell Drugs in Jail
From England comes yet another example of how drug prohibition has failed in more ways than we can even think of.
Needless to say, if you can't keep prisons drug free, what are we doing trying to eradicate the drug economy on the outside?
Seriously, just imagine you call the cops cause someone's breaking into your house, but they're busy down the road dealing with a guy who's showing everyone his penis just so he can go to jail and sell drugs. Add another item to the list of phenomena that are so stupid they can only be caused by drug prohibition.
Now that the very institutions which are supposed to intimidate drug dealers have become yet another instrument of drug prohibition profiteering, can we please regulate the stuff and force these jerks to get a damn job?
DRUG dealers are getting themselves sent to prison because they can make huge profits in a few weeks behind bars.
They are raking in tens of thousands of pounds from operations while inside jails.
With a captive market, they can charge fellow inmates more for drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine than they can sell them for on the outside. [Daily Express]
Needless to say, if you can't keep prisons drug free, what are we doing trying to eradicate the drug economy on the outside?
Seriously, just imagine you call the cops cause someone's breaking into your house, but they're busy down the road dealing with a guy who's showing everyone his penis just so he can go to jail and sell drugs. Add another item to the list of phenomena that are so stupid they can only be caused by drug prohibition.
Now that the very institutions which are supposed to intimidate drug dealers have become yet another instrument of drug prohibition profiteering, can we please regulate the stuff and force these jerks to get a damn job?
In The Trenches
International Drug Policy Consortium Alert - June 2008
[Courtesy of International Drug Policy Consortium]
The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is a global network of NGOs and professional networks that specialise in issues related to illegal drug production and use. The Consortium aims to promote objective and open debate on the effectiveness, direction and content of drug policies at national and international level, and supports evidence-based policies that are effective in reducing drug-related harm. It disseminates the reports of its member organisations about particular drug-related matters, and offers expert consultancy services to policymakers and officials around the world.
COMMUNICATIONS
The IDPC website has been updated, and a specific section created for materials related to the United Nations 10-year review of the global drug control system. This section, accessed through a link on the homepage at www.idpc.info, contains a selection of official documents, IDPC reports and updates, and related publications relevant to the review that will culminate in a high-level political meeting in Vienna in March 2009.
With effect from April 2008, IDPC is now administered and co-ordinated from the offices of Release, the London-based drugs and legal rights NGO. The Beckley Foundation remains a full member of the IDPC, and will continue to contribute reports and analysis, but the co-ordination of financial matters, administration and communications will from now on fall to Release. In this regard, you may receive future communications from either Geni Horwood ([email protected]), the IDPC Co-ordinator, or Christopher Hallam ([email protected]), the IDPC Research Assistant, who are both based at Release.
At the same time, we are in the process of expanding our network of consultants who work with governments around the world to promote the development of humane and effective drug policies, and specifically the agreed IDPC views and positions. As at June 1st, we have the following consultants working with us:
EUROPE â Mike Trace, Grazia Zuffa.
ASIA â Gabor Somogyi.
LATIN AMERICA â Coletta Youngers.
CARIBBEAN â Marcus Day.
We are hoping to add further consultants to this list in the coming months, and will keep you informed. If you wish to make contact with any of these individuals, you can get their contact details from Geni on the above email address.
PUBLICATIONS
IDPC ADVOCACY GUIDE, VERSION 4
This version has only minor changes from the previous version, distributed in April, and will be the final version of the advocacy guide. From now on, a series of IDPC updates on the UN Drug Policy Review will be produced, the first being scheduled for the end of July.
ENGLISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyGuide_June08_EN.pdf
SPANISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyGuide_June08_ES.pdf
IDPC ADVOCACY NOTES
To help our consultants, members and partners to focus their advocacy engagement with national governments and international agencies, we will be producing short summaries of IDPC positions in the form of advocacy notes. The first three of these are now available on the IDPC website:
The UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS - New York, June 2008.
ENGLISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyNote_UNMeetingAIDS_EN.pdf
SPANISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyNote_UNMeetingAIDS_ES.pdf
The Supply Reduction Working Group of the United Nations Drug Policy Review.
http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyNote_SupplyReduc_EN.pdf
The Demand Reduction Working Group of the United Nations Drug Policy Review.
ENGLISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyNote_DRWG_EN.pdf
SPANISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_AdvocacyNote_DRWG_ES.pdf
THE LATIN AMERICAN "BLUE RIBBON" COMMISSION
The Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy was launched by ex-presidents Cesar Gaviria (Colombia), Ernesto Zedillo (Mexico) and Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil). Composed of eighteen eminent members from different countries in the region, its objective is to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of current drug policy and to contribute towards more efficient, safe and humane policies. It also aims to make Latin America's voice heard in the global debate concerning this transnational issue. The Commission intends to start wide-ranging debates about the issue, and in the course of its work will hear from experts, analyze alternatives and formulate suggestions. A final proposal will be presented in early 2009. For additional information, see: www.drogasydemocracia.org.
ENGLISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/LABlueRibbonCommission_EN.pdf
SPANISH http://www.idpc.info/php-bin/documents/LABlueRibbonCommission_ES.pdf
In The Trenches
4:20 Drug War News 06/09/08
Drug Truth Network Update: 4:20 Drug War NEWS from 90.1 FM in Houston and dozens of radio affiliates in the US and Canada & on the web at www.kpft.org.
We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US and Canada.
4:20 Drug War NEWS 06/09/08 to 06/15/08 now online (3:00 ea:) Select online at www.drugtruth.net
Sun - Dallas Morning NEWS audio regarding Mexican drug war
Sat - female Texan describes her use of medical marijuana
Fri - Texas patient describes his use of medical marijuana
Thu - Ottawa medical patient describes marijuana effects
Wed - Oregon patient describes use of medical marijuana
Tue - Poppygate Report with Glenn Greenway
Mon - Terry Nelson reports for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed (Now With Transcripts):
- Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Ray Hill: war on drugs/war on queers, the difference?
- Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: North America's medical marijuana patients speak up
Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net.
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, Drug Truth Network Producer
Dean Becker
713-849-6869
www.drugtruth.net
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8th Annual Lester Grinspoon Day
For the past seven years the Louisville Late Night TV Show has been celebrating the past, present and ongoing profound contributions of Dr.
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The Drug War is a War on Communities of Color
On Thursday and Friday I attended the Breaking the Chains Conference in Baltimore, MD. The event brought together a passionate and diverse group of experts and activists to explore the impact of the war on drugs within communities of color. I'm rather familiar with the topic, but I heard some things I wonât soon forget.
I heard Baltimore youth share their visions for the future of their neighborhoods.
I heard "Little Melvin" Williams, the biggest heroin supplier in Baltimore history, tell us he'd never have done it if it wasn't so profitable.
I heard a trauma surgeon describe what it's like telling a mother she lost her son.
I heard a woman who couldn't have been a day over 40 describe her recovery from 30 years of addiction on the streets of Baltimore.
I heard current and former police officers acknowledge and vividly describe the overt racism of many professional drug enforcement officers.
I heard about youth who excelled at inner city schools only to be targeted by gang recruiters interested in their math skills.
And I heard a mother beam with joy as she shared the news that her sons would be home four years early under the revised crack sentencing guidelines.
For two days, I was the minority.
Back in D.C. later that evening, I walked through Columbia Heights to a house party. On my way, I happened to pass the scene of a homicide that occurred two years ago while I was on a ride-along with the Metropolitan Police Dept. We were the first unit to arrive, finding a young black man sprawled in the street, unconscious and still breathing as his friends stood over his shattered body unsure what to do. He'd been run over by a car on purpose, but his friends dispersed without providing any information to the frustrated homicide investigators.
The last remnants of a once-thriving open-air drug market along the 14th Street corridor continue to operate discretely, generating sporadic drug trade violence in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Just one block from the scene of that still-unsolved murder, I entered a refurbished row house to find a few dozen white 20-somethings playing drinking games. Young professionals waited their turn at the beer-pong table as an ice luge slowly melted on the deck in the summer heat. Across the street, a gaping hole was fenced off, awaiting the construction of new luxury condos.
As I sipped my beer listening to my friends compare business schools, I thought back to a comment from Baltimore attorney Billy Murphy Jr. earlier that day at the conference. He described how three decades of drug war violence, widespread addiction, and massive incarceration have decimated urban communities, necessitating gentrification to raise the tax base in major cities. The drug economy and the criminal justice system have indeed played a prominent role in reshaping America's urban landscapes. But the violence doesn't stop, it just moves over a few blocks.
And so, the young people of color who grow up in drug-ravished communities in America continue to tell the same stories we've been hearing for decades. The "crack epidemic" that dominated the evening news when I was a child is supposed to be over, but the brave Baltimore youth that spoke up at the Breaking the Chains conference described a world that remains defined by everything the drug war was supposed to prevent. A world in which the most dangerous drugs are sold by children on the sidewalks. A world in which snitching is a capital offense, youth learn math by counting glass vials, prison slang permeates cultural vernacular, and a group of teens dressed in blue are not a soccer team.
These things are the legacy of the war on drugs. After so many years and so many lost lives, nothing should be more obvious to anyone who listens to the voices of the multiple generations that have now been born on the drug war battlefield. Nothing is changing, nor will it, until the day this terrible war is finally dismantled and replaced.
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