When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, Roll up a joint ... or don't. Just follow your arrow wherever it points. - - Kacey Musgraves A Republican Macon lawmaker is attempting what many in these parts say is the unthinkable: Rep. Allen Peake has prepared a bill that would allow for the legalization of medical marijuana in Georgia. Opponents have already started lining up their "damn hippies" defense, and proponents of legalization of pot in general have started waving their freak flags and saying the bill doesn't go far enough. [continues 656 words]
Just as every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints. - - The Rolling Stones One of my favorite lines by late comedian Richard Pryor: "I go down to the courthouse looking for justice, and that's what I see: Just us." The great comedian's one-liner certainly tickled plenty of funny bones in its day, but it also serves as a telling commentary on perhaps the most broken element of this country's foundation: our criminal justice system. Pryor's observation notwithstanding, the devolution of the American justice system, circa 2013, has less to do with race, more to do with dollar bills. Forget the biblical admonition about the difficulty wealthy people face as they seek heaven. Heaven's a much more likely locale for the wealthy than the inside of a prison. [continues 578 words]
What I'm about to say bears explanation. I'll try to get there ... so stick with me. The United States government's so-called war on drugs is a dismal failure. The outlaws who grow, manufacture and distribute illegal substances are far too clever, motivated and well-equipped to be stopped by the understaffed and underfunded agencies charged with stopping them. The results: We've turned our neighbor to the south into a dangerous drug state run by drug lords whose operations are financed by this country's demand for an ever-increasing supply of their product. [continues 639 words]
A Drug Education Program at the Dougherty County Jail Draws Raves From County Commissioners. ALBANY -- Noting the "overwhelming success" of the Dougherty County Jail's Controlled Substance Education Program in a report to the Dougherty County Commission Monday morning, Jail Director Doug McGinley provided some impressive numbers to back up his claim. Calling attention to a 17 percent recidivism rate among graduates of the program during its five years of existence -- as compared to the typical 80 percent or above -- and $725,817 in "cost avoidance" as compared to $228,400 in actual costs, McGinley assured commissioners the six-week program delivers plenty of bang for the buck. [continues 566 words]
