Tuesday, July 19, 2005Busted down on Bourbon Street. Set up like a bowling pin - Truckin'
This War on Drugs perplexes me. Having touched my life so closely - I spent 9 years with a man who served a 10 year sentence for possession of a CDS, then 5 more on parole. If you check some criminology stats, you will be amazed to find the average time served for rape is 6.4 years. They are just as mind boggling for other violent crimes.And what did he learn? He learned how to manipulate, cheat and survive it a world he does not and never will trust. Will he commit another crime? Possbily, but I fear it won't be drug related.
There is so much anger, I fear violence. He is not alone.
posted by Helen at 5:23 PM
7 Comments:
Yes but(it always starts like this)
the power in place in goverments need a violence tank in order to release it on "foes"
So they protect the violent one they can use him to subdue and get what they want out of you.
It's pure insanity. Same goes with the 'adolescent drug treatment' industry. Huge bucks to warehouse kids. What do they learn there - recovery? No. Coping skills? No. Self-awareness? No. How to make new contacts to get more drugs? Yes.
I speak from experience.
The "War on Drugs" has proven to be a profitable enterprise for the authorities (and their contractor friends) who spawned it.
We have the high honor of being the country with the highest incarceration rate on Earth. Stalin would smile.
Not only that, but the Legislature, with "mandatory minimum" sentencing, has stomped on the Judiciary function of Government, making a mockery of the Constitutional separation of powers. It also creates a climate where, as you point out, bad actors must go free to accomodate nickel and dime dope dealers.
It's a failed policy. A policy that does nothing to enhance the safety of anyone-it actually makes things much worse.
It is truly whack. This is one of those cases that just has no logic to it.
I'm starting to despair that there will never be a political party/movement that will make sense to me.
From what I've seen, prison sentences tend to turn first time offenders into bigger and better criminals once their sentences are completed.
As far as the "War" on drugs is concerned, going after the little guys accomplishes nothing. It's the cartel kingpins, organized crime, and the corrupt elements of politics and law enforcement that need to be taken down in order to put a dent in the amount of drugs constantly being produced internally and transported into this country. A teenager caught with an ounce of pot in is car is an enemy to no one.
Knew about the ridiculous sentencing for rape. Creeps me out how the justice system works....
Agreed...you can't trash all laws on controlled substances easily (many are controlled for good reason - marijuana may be a minor concern, crack or meth lead to more serious social problems) but treating drug possession and use as a medical and psychological health issue vs. a criminal problem is a more effective, cheaper, and constructive solution.
Of course, the War on Drugs has no interest in solving drug abuse as a social ill. It's designed to stigmatize offenders (instant permanent underclass), feed the coffers of those aiming to increase state power (many who ironically claim to be conservative), and keep everyone under a constant state of alert and fear.
A completely illogical response. But hey, who says the world makes sense?
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