To the editor: I'm writing in response to your Feb. 7 editorial headlined, "Duplin's big night goes up in smoke." As one who was born in the Tar Heel State, I was especially disappointed to learn of the actions of the Alcohol Law Enforcement agents in the harassment of Willie Nelson's band just prior to the cancellation of their show in Kenansville. This incident points out the petty meanness of current marijuana prohibition laws that fill jails in North Carolina and nationwide with such "de minimus" crimes. [continues 134 words]
Sir: In your story "Getting Tough On Crime" (Feb. 9 Chatham Daily News), Justice Minister Rob Nicholson's announcement the Conservative government is re-introducing C-15 (mandatory minimums for pot) is extolled by police. Well of course police like the idea of locking up more "criminals" - -they have a huge financial incentive to keep the arrest and prosecution pipeline full. Jailing people who are involved with marijuana is job security for too many in government. Mandatory sentencing turns judges into little more than rubber-stamps for prosecutors. Under mandatory minimums, by fine-tuning the charges, prosecutors are able to coerce plea bargains. [continues 86 words]
I am writing about your article ("Pot clinic raid nets 4 arrests," Feb. 6). While I applaud the work of the Costa Mesa police when they're at work fighting real crime - like murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, violent crime and theft - I have a hard time understanding how arresting peaceful people who are involved with medical marijuana helps anyone. Anyone except the Arrest and Prosecution Industry, that is. Police, prosecutors and others who get paychecks because of marijuana prohibition, like it. [continues 78 words]
Federal drug czar John Walters got rather excited last week after a new report suggested the price of cocaine is increasing in many American cities. The czar read the report as happy proof that prohibitionists can indeed make one of their policies work sort of the way it's supposed to work (as long as they've got several billion dollars and several years to help the project along). But, as usual, there could be other explanations. First, it's curious that this report comes in just as drug war contractors salivate over plans to partner with Mexico in the drug war. After so many years of dismal failure in the stated goals of Plan Colombia, isn't it interesting that a little alleged success comes as the strategy is being sold to another country? [continues 270 words]
Last week, the (now) deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra went to the U.S., to give a speech at the U.N. and have his picture taken with his friends in Washington. But folks back home in Thailand weren't exactly "down" with the PM's activities over the past few years. Activities like egging on Thai police to summarily execute thousands of Thai drug "offenders." Harsh, foul concentration camps awaited those blacklisted individuals who turned themselves in, but often they were simply executed anyway, gunned down on the street by masked motorcycle assailants (police). [continues 202 words]
When a newspaper article says police will get tough on "dealers and users" of dangerous drugs, what do think? Good? It is about time? Or do you think, "Hey, that's drug war propaganda"? Media in the U.S. and abroad constantly tell us that drug users are evil people who deserve to be treated harshly. Media repeats government proclamations that drugs (deemed illegal by government) cause illness, insanity, and death. Society will collapse, unless we "get tough" on drugs. One drug is a gateway to another, says media, and all use of drugs is unquestionably abuse. Jailing adults who take "drugs", it is insinuated, is only to save our precious little children, so who could argue? It is war, says government, and those who take or sell drugs are demons. Since it is a moral battle against the evil of "drugs", we are told, no one could possibly question the righteousness of such a crusade. Of course, as government and media sing in unison, anything but eternally increasing punishments for "drugs" is the same as "legalizing" drugs for toddlers. Above all, those who question the glorious war on "drugs", they are the problem. Those who question our leaders (on the subject of illegal drugs), they deserve punishment, say government and media alike. [continues 214 words]
The DrugSense newsbot makes it easier to not miss important articles, and to share them with your fellow activists at DrugSense. The newsbot is at: http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/ If you don't know about this site already, please take a look. It sees about 400 drug-related articles a day. New drug related articles appear every 15 minutes or so. It uses news sites like Google news for input, so, for example, it sees all the cannabis-related articles Google news sees, plus much more. No other site brings you the latest raw breaking drug news faster than this site. [continues 210 words]
Religious and mythological symbols of good and evil are very useful in demonizing prohibited or targeted drugs. Drugs (declared illegal by politicians) are said to be as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Thus, declare police and prosecutor, "illegal" drugs are sinful to use. It is therefore the duty of government, declare unselfish government officials and authorities, to cast out the hated drug user from the garden of society (or rather, to jail and enslave the drug user for profit). As Adam and Eve were beguiled by the devil, so (asserts a government deeply respecting an establishment of religion), have drug users been demonically beguiled and possessed. [continues 503 words]
