Pubdate: Thu, 23 Apr 2009
Source: Chico News & Review, The (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/559
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n436/a10.html
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n452/a05.html
Author: Ralph Givens

PUNISHMENT IS A CRIME

Re: "Catch and release" (cover story, by Janelle Weiner, CN&R, April 16):

The story of how Julius Johnson and other addicts were treated by the 
criminal-justice system shows the bone-deep immorality and mental 
corruption involved in promoting drug prohibition. The lies begin 
with a repetition of the notion that people can be "saved from 
themselves" by a jail term. Needless to say, this theory has utterly 
failed for more than 90 years.

Punishing where no injury to another has been done goes against the 
biblical admonition commanding that criminal punishment must equal 
the injury done and no more ("life for life, eye for eye, tooth for 
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, 
bruise for bruise").

Julius Johnson has not murdered or blinded anyone, he has knocked out 
no teeth, and there is no maiming in his record, yet drug crusaders 
think nothing of sending people like him to prison repeatedly when 
the man has harmed no one. It's worth remembering that the Nazis were 
also great promoters of punishing victimless crimes.

America's drug crusade is an abomination, a blasphemy and a crime 
against humanity.

Ralph Givens

Daly City
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