Pubdate: Thu, 21 Aug 2003
Source: Lincoln County Weekly (ME)
Contact:  2003, Lincoln County Weekly
Website: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1467
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3083
Author: Ben Barth
Note: The author is chairman of the Lincoln County Libertarian Party.

ARREST QUESTIONS

According to local newspaper accounts, after a long and no doubt costly
undercover investigation, nine police officers from four separate agencies
arrested Boothbay Harbor resident Glen Willey for trafficking in schedule W
drugs.

I do not know Willey. Should he be guilty of violence, aggression, or coercion
against his neighbors then I hope he faces a long and unpleasant stay in
prison. If, however, his only "crime" is being entrapped for selling a product
to a willing adult buyer, then it is clear that Glen Willey is not a criminal.

Footing the bill for the overkill arrest of an apparently nonviolent citizen
are the taxpayers of Lincoln County. Paying the tab for the new jail that will
be needed to house individuals such as Mr. Willey are the tax payers of Lincoln
County. And if Willey has a family, then footing the bill for needed services
for his dependents, while he is incarcerated, will be the taxpayers of Lincoln
County.

Willey was arrested following a drug transaction that was "arranged and
monitored" by drug agents. For ambitious prosecutors and drug agents who are
financially dependent on a never-ending drug war without victory, "arranging"
drug deals is par for the course. Two groups benefit from drug prohibition,
criminal thugs and career drug warriors. The rest of us suffer.

It was a nonexistent "meth lab" that led to the massacre of innocent children
at Waco, Texas. Case after case can be cited of nonviolent Americans who were
killed by drug agents.

Ten years ago, 134,000 rapists were released from prison in order to free up
jail space for the 400,000 Americans convicted of nonviolent drug charges.
Because of the bullying drug war mentality with its attendant intimidation of
the Federal Department of Health and Human Services has reported that 42
percent of cancer patients received inadequate medication for their pain. In
New York State, dying cancer patients face the humiliation of mandatory
registration with the state as "drug addicts."

Narcotics agents have ambushed us in our residences in the dead of the night.
They have seized our property, trashed our homes and stolen our bank accounts.
They have jailed us, terrorized us and shot us. They have ruined human lives
and thrown the terminally ill into prison to die.

A hundred years ago, Willey's arresters probably would have been found guilty
of false imprisonment and theft of property. A hundred years ago, before we
were required to prostrate ourselves before the cult of the omnipotent state,
voluntary capitalist exchanges between consenting adults were not outlawed.

A hundred years ago before the onset of the American Authoritarian State,
Willey's clients would have had no need for his services as drugs could be
freely obtained from doctors and pharmacies. Until the year 1915 our ancestors
retained the right to grow, import, buy and sell opium, cocaine, alcohol, and
marijuana by the ton with no restrictions but an occasional modest excise tax.
There were no drug war battles, no innocent collateral damage, no pharmacy
break-ins, no prohibition-caused home invasions, and no expensive war-on-plants
bureaucracy.

The same bloodthirsty intolerance that fueled the witch hunts, the fugitive
slave laws, and alcohol prohibition were all ended because juries refused to
convict. Should Willey face a jury for his so-called "crime," I urge any
Lincoln County resident to ignore the government judge's instructions and vote
to release him.

Drug War politicians would have us all believe that it is the sole right and
prerogative of the state to determine how each citizen's consciousness may or
may not be altered. The ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that "the
enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to
deny or disparage others retained by the people."

When Congress unwisely decided to outlaw alcohol, they knew that the ninth
Amendment of the Bill of Rights stood firmly in their way. Thus the 18th
Amendment was enacted and alcohol was made illegal. Where is the corresponding
constitutional amendment to outlaw drugs? Such an amendment, of course, does
not exist.

Any sworn officer of the state who would persecute his fellow citizen under
laws that are clearly contrary to the Bill of Rights is violating his or her
oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.
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