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There has to be a balance somewhere. Lax drug laws result in way too many junkies and do not stem the flow of illegally obtained drugs. Crime then soars in the drug infested areas... This has been proven time and time again around the world, yet there are still those who think we should have no drug laws.
It's a bit like the liberals thinking we can spend 20 dollars for every 10 dollars we have... and everything will be just fine. RIGHT.
What we need is drug law reform here. Nobody should be in prison for selling half a pound of weed. If it's against the law, make them serve the community and do some good rather than locking them up and costing us millions over time. Prison time just makes them a better criminal.
There has to be a balance somewhere. Lax drug laws result in way too many junkies and do not stem the flow of illegally obtained drugs. Crime then soars in the drug infested areas... This has been proven time and time again around the world, yet there are still those who think we should have no drug laws.
It has?
Where exactly?
As the drug users are committing crimes NOW to finance their life choice,it doesn't seem to make much sense that if drugs were legal they would commit more crime.
Location: Democratic Peoples Republic of Redneckistan
11,078 posts, read 15,078,355 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2e1m5a
America has 5% of the World's Population, yet nearly 25% of the World's Prison Population. In 1982, 1 in 77 adults were in the correctional system, totaling 2.2 million people. In 2007, the prison population totaled 7.3 million, or 1 in every 31 adults.
-7.9% of sentenced prisoners in federal prisons on September 30, 2009 were in for violent crimes
-52.4% of sentenced prisoners in state prisons at year end 2008 were in for violent crimes
-21.6% of convicted inmates in jails in 2002 (latest available data by type of offense) were in for violent crimes.
70% of Prisoners are Non-Whites, which correctly shows that "The War on Drugs" is a racist war. Black men, especially are disproportianately targeted and stripped of basic citizen rights from an early age.
I know many will say "well don't sell drugs". If you have never lived in an impoverished urban area than you do not understand the huge and growing black market drug economy. There are simply not any jobs in these areas and drugs are a hot commodity and easy sell.
White teens from the suburbs (and others) that drive into these areas and pay a premium price are not effected by "The War on Drugs". In the slim chance that they are, most can afford to hire lawyers to represent them in a confusing and unjust system. Most will get away with community service, have their records expunged and move on with their life. Our poorest members of society do not have that option. The "War on Drugs" is one HUGE reason that every black person should be supporting Ron Paul.
Nixon launched the "all out war on all fronts" in his words after the health commission he hired to study whether it would be appropriate told him not to. Reagan just injected the drug war with steroids, with the help of his late wife-even as the CIA was dumping tons of crack-cocaine in our cities.
Since the 1980's our growing (for-profit) prisons have been filled with majority non-violent offenders, usually committing victimless crimes because of the destructive War on "Drugs".
Police focus on these non-violent drug crimes due to monetary incentive-Police-or "Policy Enforcers" are really nothing more than revenue generators for our Government (which is heavily involved/invested in drugs from all angles), and their Departments today.
There are so many more fines tacked onto "drug criminals" due to the insane War on "Drugs" and its policies-which has only grown and grown while drug epidemics continue to get worse-the vicious cycle and good business model for prison corporations-especially when they lobby our prostitute politicians for more laws and longer sentencing for non-violent offenses.
Locking up masses of people mostly from areas where manufacturing has been gutted and which have been most harmed from deindustrization, globalization and disinvestment has the added benefit (in the eyes of Government) of padding unemployment statistics and concealing the real destruction of our economy over the last 40 years. Employment Statistics: Let's Tell The Whole Story The 40-Year Slump
And with drug criminals the Government can go after all assets/money of the "criminal". Often, drug offenders will serve longer sentences than murderers and child rapists-due to more insane laws like mandatory sentencing, the 50/1 crack/cocaine disparity, "3 strikes", etc. It is similar to The War on "Terror" in that regard-both meant to be endless and expansive-the goal and enemy ambiguous, while our civil liberties continue to be stripped away.
Funny-the "Crack epidemic" and the Government response to it ripped apart communities and incarcerated masses of people while today we have a legal drug epidemic worse than any other drug epidemic in history. In fact the #1 cause of accidental death today is legal drug overdose, surpassing car accidents and gun deaths for the first time in history. I guess it's not a problem when it is corporations raking in the cash from drug addiction. Once again, those that own and control our Government are immune from its laws. Overdose Death Rate Surges, Legal Drugs Are Mostly to Blame | Alternet
This is such a major problem, that violent crimes/murders are going unsolved at record rates-even with a decrease in violent crime and technological advances like DNA testing. It's an absolute disgrace.
If you want violent criminals to be put away, you should support an end to the War on "Drugs" and allow Cops to get back to focusing on violent crime instead of spending all their time and resources on a healthcare issue. Cops cannot protect everyone from themselves-what a ludicrous notion, especially when drugs are just as easy-in some cases easier-to obtain in prison. Not to mention the connections made, and the nature of non-violent criminals becoming violent and jaded upon release. Illegal drugs are easier for minors to obtain than legal drugs-the liquor store IDs, the drug dealer doesn't.
What we are doing is the literal definition of insanity-the same $#!t happened during the prohibition of alcohol-crime and use skyrocketed and there were many overdoses since the content and quality of the drug/alcohol is unregulated and unknown. The CIA is complicit in bringing drugs into this country and uses drug trade money for "black budget" projects and funding. Anyone that supports this is either ignorant or disingenuous.
Nixon launched the "all out war on all fronts" in his words after the health commission he hired to study whether it would be appropriate told him not to. Reagan just injected the drug war with steroids, with the help of his late wife-even as the CIA was dumping tons of crack-cocaine in our cities.
So now you know one reason why so few Blacks vote for Republicans. The drug war was used as a new legal way to be biased against Blacks after Jim Crow laws had to go.
So now you know one reason why so few Blacks vote for Republicans. The drug war was used as a new legal way to be biased against Blacks after Jim Crow laws had to go.
Very true. Michelle Alexander has a whole book (excellent btw!) dedicated to the topic.
The "War on Drugs" has been a disastrous failure
Everyone else knew this back in the 80's...old news
True.
We spent billions (trillions over all) just chasing el chapo. Then Kate del Castillo and Sean Penn are able to get a meeting with him??? Led to his arrest and cost the tax payers little or nothing...
Where is the accounting for all the money spent to prop up a phony war that has accomplished nothing?
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,373,658 times
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The "War on Drugs" has been a disastrous failure (Ron Paul, legal)
Not to the corporations that run prisons for profit and LE organizations that use it as an excuse to put their hands out for MORE! MORE! MORE! $$$.
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