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Joe Biden: We Don't Like Him Either
Delaware Senator Joseph Biden Jr. wants to be President too. You may remember Joe Biden from the horrible RAVE Act he sponsored, which subjects business owners to federal prosecution if they fail to prevent drug use on the premises. Worse yet, Biden actually wrote the law that gives us a Drug Czar. Seriously. Al Gore invented the internet or whatever. Joe Biden invented ONDCP. I wonder what he was thinking. Was Biden concerned that the drug war was all injury and no insults? If so, he certainly succeeded in making prohibition more annoying, what with the terrorism ads, the interference in local politics, the podcasts, the blog, Andrea Barthwellâ¦the list goes on.Either way, Biden can now take some credit for ONDCPâs numerous contributions to the drug war status quo, and should either be very proud or ashamed depending who you ask. It would be unfair not to mention that Joe Biden doesnât like John Walters, who he says runs ONDCP "like an ivory tower." One might credit Biden with taking a stand for accountability, but youâd have to ignore the irony of his complaints that the "Drug Czar" position he created seems to lend itself to tyranny. That drug war cheerleaders so often prove to have high political ambitions is probably no coincidence. From Harry Anslingerâs race-baiting demagoguery to Karen Tandyâs campaign against Tommy Chong (which swept her into the top office at DEA), drug war grandstanding is one way to get your name in the paper. Running for President is another.Electioneering laws prevent us from opining on the merits (or lack thereof) of various presidential candidates. So Iâll just say this: if the 2008 presidential election comes down to a contest between Rudy Giuliani and Joe Biden, the prison industrial complex canât lose.(This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
Rudy Giuliani: We Don't Like Him
It became clear last week that Rudy Giuliani intends to be our next president. Notwithstanding the possibility that a pro-gay rights, pro-choice Republican might not do so well in the primaries, it's worth noting that Giuliani is an absolute horror show with regards to crime and drug policy.
The Neverending Story
Well...for those of us who came of age in the 60's (sorry, Dave, you're not included), the idea that, 40 years on, such a benign herb as marijuana would not only still be illegal, but causing more and more human pain and suffering through its prohibition, was unthinkable.
Militarization of police forces/Atlanta woman
A very good editorial by David Borden, as usual. The militarization of virtually all US police forces is not good. I remember a friend of mine from youth, who always wanted to be a soldier--like his eventual father-in-law, he dreamt of the military. Then, he could not qualify for the military because of some weird heart thing. He is still alive today, but the military would not accept him.
Another Raid Gone Wrong: 92-Year-Old Woman Killed, 3 Officers Injured
Again and again, it just keeps happening. This time a 92-year-old woman was killed after shooting three officers in a no-knock drug raid on her home. Officers claim that drugs were purchased at the home, but from a man who remains unidentified at this time.More importantly, a 92-year-old woman named Kathryn Johnston died defending her home against intruders who broke in without announcing themselves. She lived quite a long life only to die an innocent death at the hands of public servants.Radley Balko sums it up best:Paramilitary tactics don't defuse violent situations, as police groups and their supporters sometimes claim. They create them. They make things more volatile for everyone -- cops, suspects, and bystanders. Does anyone honestly believe that Ms. Johnson would have opened fire had a couple of uniformed officers politely knocked on her door, showed her a warrant, and asked if they could come inside?Violating the sanctity of the home with a violent, forced entry -- all to enforce laws against consensual acts -- simply isn't compatible with any honest notion of a free society.Police can have their submachine guns and bulletproof vests. They can have their blast shields and helmets. They may surround homes in order to prevent the escape of suspects, and if they have a warrant supported by probable cause to believe criminal activity is taking place inside, they may initiate contact. What more do they need? Why must they invade homes anonymously like burglars or rapists? Why, after so many innocent people have died, does this recklessness continue?The sad answer is that the drug war accepts the death of innocent people as a necessary casualty. The drug war turns police into soldiers whose lives are valued above those of the innocent people they fight to protect.Itâs time to bring home the troops.
Granny 3 Cops 1
"I don't know what kind [of gun it was] and it was rusty, but apparently it was working well." http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2006/11/21/1121copshot.html The police claim they did everything by the book.
I Met Pete Guither!
One of many highlights at the SSDP Conference was finally meeting DrugWarRant blogger Pete Guither. Here I am with three of my favorite writers: Scott Morgan, Radley Balko, Nick Gillespie, Peter Guither Peteâs got some excellent coverage of the conference (scroll down to Saturday and Sundayâs posts).
Is It Time for Direct Action to Shut Down DEA Headquarters?
One of the nice things about coming to Washington is more stimulating dinner discussions than I'm accustomed to out in the boondocks. Last night, I had the chance to have dinner with a couple very well-versed in both drug policy reform and mass protests agitating. As conversation turned to what can be done about the drug war, one of them suggested it was time to crank it up a bit, and he had a very concrete suggestion: a direction action protest to surround and shut down DEA headquarters in suburban Arlington, Virginia.
Anybody want to jump on board?
Anybody want to jump on board? http://www.politicalcrossfire.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70616 Chymical wrote: 99% low level anti-social crime GONE! Thousands of preventable 'bad-bag' deaths GONE!
SSDP Conference Invigorates and Educates Students and Non-Students Alike
The Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) conference in Washington, DC saw its third and final day, and it was a rousing weekend for drug reformers. About 300 student activists from around the country showed up for a weekend of lobbying, strategizing, and setting the direction of the organization for the near term.
Thank You Milton Friedman
Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman passed away today at the age of 94. Friedman was a brilliant and tireless advocate for civil liberties and personal freedom, which he viewed as essential to ensuring the long-term economic health of our society.His Open Letter to Bill Bennett could easily be one of the best arguments ever written against the drug war:This plea comes from the bottom of my heart. Every friend of freedom, and I know you are one, must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence. A country in which shooting down unidentified planes "on suspicion" can be seriously considered as a drug-war tactic is not the kind of United States that either you or I want to hand on to future generations.Hopefully, Friedmanâs passing will provide an opportunity for many to reflect on his words.
Hoyer vs. Murtha on drug policy
After reading that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is supporting Steny Hoyer for Majority Leader (Frank is one of the best members of Congress as far as our issue is concerned -- he has spoken at several of our events), I decided to take a look at how their records look on drug policy. According to Cannabis Culture magazine's "USA 2006 Stoner Voters Guide," John Murtha scored a "failure" grade, opposing medical marijuana by voting against the Hinchey amendment, supporting aerial coca eradication in Colombia (spraying of poisons) and other evils. He did vote against increasing funds for the Byrne grant program to the task forces. Hoyer, by contrast, scored an A -- the only Hoyer vote Cannabis Culture didn't like was for authorizing continuation of the drug czar's office. According to the Drug Policy Alliance voter guide, Hoyer, while not leading any drug policy reform efforts, nevertheless scored 100% correct on issues of recent concern, compared with a 33% showing by Murtha. If I'm not mistaken, Murtha did vote in favor of the Hinchey medical marijuana amendment two years ago, but switched to anti- last year and again this year. Perhaps then there is hope for him. But in the meanwhile, as far as drug policy reform is concerned, Hoyer has a far better record. (This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
Heading to DC for SSDP!
After five longs days incommunicado in darkest Dakota, I am crawling out of my cave and heading for the East Coast to check out the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) conference this weekend in Washington. It takes a lot to draw this High Plains drifter to the big city, but the SSDP conference looks to be worth it.
DEA: Mind-Altering Drugs are Available in Stores, But Donât Buy Them
Someone needs to remind the DEA and CBS 4 in Denver that many people actually enjoy doing drugs. DEA Warns Over-The-Counter Drug Is Like Acid encourages people not to take salvia. It also identifies by name several stores you shouldnât go to because they sell it and describes vivid hallucinations you can avoid by not smoking it.The thing is, suggesting that a drug is "a lot like taking acid" and complaining that it is available "at the Head Quarters on South Marion Street in Denver" is a curious way of discouraging salvia experimentation. I wonder how the proprietors of Head Quarters feel about local news exposing them for selling potent legal drugs and giving away their location.Dave Chappelle once did a skit in which he played a crack addict addressing a group of school children about the dangers of crack. During the course of his presentation, he inadvertently provided numerous details about where crack could be purchased, at which point the students all started taking notes.This is just like that, except itâs not supposed to be funny.
Whatâs Up With People Putting Pot in Each Otherâs Food?
In New Mexico, total panic erupted after three Burger King employees served pot-laced burgers to police. The men are getting charged with felony assault on police officers, the officers are suing Burger King, and their attorney is calling the suspects âhoodlumsâ in the newspaper. No doubt these âhoodlumsâ will get the full treatment.Meanwhile, in New York, a judge has recommended the reinstatement of a police officer who failed a drug test for marijuana. It turns out the officerâs wife admitted serving him spiked meatballs in the hopes of ending his dangerous career in law-enforcement.Leaving aside the question of whether the "I got drugged" excuse would work for anyone other than a cop, you gotta wonder whatâs gonna happen to the wife. My guess is that she gets in considerably less trouble than the Burger King Three. In fact, my money says she doesnât even get charged.Either way, I hope weâve all learned a valuable lesson about why you shouldnât drug people against their will. Itâs a waste of resources. Otherwise useful resources.
Can We Fix the Crack/Cocaine Sentencing Disparity Already?
Our good friend and occasional Speakeasy contributor Eric Sterling has a superb op-ed in the LA Times on the crack/cocaine sentencing disparity.
I'm sick and tired of begging my fellow citizens to not throw me in jail...
...because I might smoke something of which they don't approve. Imprisoning people for drug use or possession is a violation of fundamental human rights, and I don't give a rat's ass what the law says. The US government and the governments of all the states are committing massive human rights violations with their drugs policies, and those Good Germans who allow it to continue are complicit.
Marijuana Delivery Services: They're Great
But Iâm not sure we need newspapers writing about them. The Hartford Courant has a fairly positive take on New York Cityâs thriving underground marijuana industry. Letâs hope it doesnât provoke the wrong people.
Forfeiture Insanity: Three Cars for Oxycontin Possession
Thatâs right possession. Via The Agitator, the Morris County Prosecutorâs Office in New Jersey has gone crazy, drug war style. Theyâre cracking down on prescription drug abuse, primarily by indiscriminately confiscating automobiles from all sorts of people, including a cop.From dailyrecord.com: Parent Gerard Trapp, a Bloomfield police officer, said the seizure of three family cars is extreme, since neither he nor his wife knew of any alleged drug use by their son, and Trapp Jr. was charged with a relatively minor offense. He was never accused of being a dealer or supplier.This sort of mind-numbing injustice comes naturally to many local-level drug warriors. Iâm shocked, but only sort of, having been recently shocked over and over again by equally horrible tales of forfeiture abuse.