A Racist, Deadly War

On the independent news blog, Activist Post, Eric Blur implies that minority suppression and a high death toll as a result of the Drug War are good things (Clearly, Blur also implies his high level of stupidity). In his December 8, 2011 article, “10 Ways the War on Drugs is a Success,” Blur absurdly claims that the United States has been winning the War on Drug so far, which can be seen in a variety of ways. For example, Blur actually claimed that drug violence justifies tough gun laws. First of all, how can drug violence be justified in any way when it has ultimately led to the death of thousands? If drugs were legalized, there would be no need for tough gun laws. Since 2006, the death toll from the Drug War has been greater than the death toll in the war in Iraq. Blur is completely ignorant in claiming that the fact that we have had to toughen gun laws could possibly be a benefit.

Blur continues on make a completely racist and ignorant argument for the support of the Drug War by claiming that, “it is a huge success for those who wish to suppress minority populations.” To argue against the War on Drugs, we often use this point of African-Americans and Latinos making up the majority of drug-related incarcerations as a bad thing. The fact that minorities are suppressed so highly in the Drug War demonstrates the inequitable treatment by the criminal justice system through law enforcement’s focus on urban areas, on lower-income communities and on communities of color. To actually claim that this racist practice is an advantage certainly shows the lack of morality of Mr. Burr (along with his lack of intelligence). The political cartoon below illustrates how the War on Drugs is the modern-day equivalent to slavery and discrimination.

Blur’s other ludicrous argument for the War on Drugs is that it is effective at preventing high unemployment rates in the U.S. since many incarcerated people have committed drug-related crimes. Blur is now implying that those incarcerated for drugs could not possibly be useful members of society (which again demonstrates his lack of intelligence and morality). If those incarcerated for drugs were released, there would be a greater opportunity for the general greater advancement of our society. Who is Blur to insinuate that those incarcerated are not capable of finding jobs or creating a better future for themselves? The more people there are contributing to our society, the more contributed ideas and the more overall progression. Additionally, there would be thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of more jobs created in order to prevent drug use of minors and in the creation of new age-restricted laws, area-restricted laws for the recreational use of the newly-legalized drugs.

Blur’s arguments for the advocacy of the War on Drugs seems like a desperate attempt to try and justify what everyone knows is a failed war.

The Medicinal Need for Drugs

One of the lesser-known topics surrounding the War on Drugs is how it affects people who are in need of certain drugs. Cancer patients and people with chronic pain are struggling to get the painkillers and other prescription medications they need that can help alleviate pain. Suffering from severe pain is something that no human being should have to go through in life. “According to the World Health Organization, these measures simply result in 5.5 billion people – including 5.5 million with terminal cancer – having low to nonexistent access to opiate medicines. More powerful opiate preparations, such as morphine and diamorphine (heroin), are unattainable in over 150 countries.”

Cancer patient expressing her frustration for being arrested for marijuana possession

The government should not be able to prohibit someone from getting the necessary treatment that he or she needs. The people that truly need medicine are being severely penalized in this War on Drugs. While marijuana is becoming more accepted and even legalized throughout much of America, there is still a stigma attached to it. Many people think smoking cannabis is associated with laziness and apathy. However, the medicinal value of the drug cannot be ignored as many cancer patients, HIV/AIDS patients, and those suffering from chronic back pain have used it to reduce pain. The fact that it is easier for someone with ADHD to obtain a drug like Ritalin than it is for a cancer patient to obtain a painkiller or marijuana that can ease his or her pain is unfortunate, and that has to change.

In the end, the War on Drugs, much like many other government policies, is mostly about the money. There is so much money tied up into our prison system, and with the excessive amount of people incarcerated due to drug-related offenses, it is no wonder why the United States continues to fund the War on Drugs.

Our Drugs War- The Life and Death of a Dealer

As you watch this episode, you learn the struggles and conflict one goes through in dealing with illegal drugs. This can begin from nothing, to jail time, to anything as drastic as getting murdered or ones own actions affecting family and friends of theirs. It can even be vise versa. Their actions can learn to legal downfalls and irrational decision making followed by their actions. Drugs easily manipulate and influence others in a negative way. This then leads to, what we are trying to convey, is the war on drugs.

Prohibition

We live in a modern day society where you can connect with people halfway around the world in seconds, go shopping without leaving the comfort of your own home, and some of us even have cars that park themselves. So if we are supposedly living in Marty McFly’s era (Back to the Future for the uninitiated), why are we still holding onto the times of Al Capone?

Prohibition of substances, whether it be alcohol or drugs, has never effectively worked and continues to fail to this very day. In the 1920’s the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement and the Anti-Saloon League were concerned about many American’s drinking behaviors which prompted them to pressure Congress to take action…and so the 18^th Amendment was born. As we are all aware, people continued to consume alcoholic beverages despite the Volstead Act. Due to the overall noncompliance of the American citizen, the nation saw the 18^th Amendment repealed not 20 years after its passing. It should be noted that this is the only U.S. Amendment of all 27 that was ever rescinded.

This brings us to present day prohibition in America. This new form of prohibition picked up steam sometime around the 1970 Nixon era; though not titled “Prohibition” any longer, it held the same meaning. This time Congress entitled it “The War on Drugs.” DrugPolicy.org states, “The number of people behind bars for nonviolent drug law offenses increased from 50,000 in 1980 to over 400,000 by 1997.” In 17 years the amount of American citizens incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses rose 700%. That’s 700% more of your tax dollar going toward the incarceration of nonviolent criminals.

Let’s consider the word war. War by definition is a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation. This suggests that a conflict is being carried on by force of arms between our government and nonviolent “criminals.” Does anyone not see the problem here? Let’s just assume that this war they are referring to just involves the violent criminals that deal in drugs. Well if that’s the case, then you have to factor in that the government has fashioned a workplace for them in which to operate in the form of a black market. This means good ol’ Uncle Sam is the one starting the war.

The incarceration of violent offenders coupled with nonviolent drug offenders equals a lot of damn tax money. We have to start asking ourselves why. Why are we allowing the government to spend our tax money on a war that they have created? Why are we allowing the birth of more violent criminals, when if we removed the market all together they might become productive citizens? Why are regular everyday citizens under constant threat of being arrested for what they put into their own body? Does the government own our bodies? If that’s their plan maybe we should at least take a vote on it first. The bottom line is that prohibition has never worked, in fact the only thing its ever worked is our tax dollar. It’s high time (see what I did there) we write our congressman, end this war, and smoke um’ peace pipe.

Drugs and Terrorism

The War on Drugs began in 1971 after Richard Nixon declared that drugs were harming our society.  He said, “America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.” Over forty years later, the War on Drugs is still a widely contested issue in the United States with many people for and against it.

Malcolm Beith argues that there are really not any attractive alternatives to what is currently happening regarding the War on Drugs. In the September 2013 issue of Foreign Affairs, Beith’s article, titled “A Single Act of Justice How the Age of Terror Transformed the War on Drugs,” says that we are winning the War on Drugs. Beith states the total amount of people who are arrested annually on drug charges and why people think the justice system is racist due to the amount of minorities that are locked up on drug offenses. After 9/11, the War on Drugs changed. No longer was the United States trying to stop illicit drugs from entering our country, but it also became a way to combat terrorism. Many of the well-known drug traffickers that have recently been arrested have been involved in terrorist-related activities. Drugs carry with them a plethora of problems that the government is trying to get rid of.

While alcohol and tobacco are legal in the United States, they are still dangerous substances that kill thousands of people every year. The black market for illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine causes an increase in demand and creates an artificially high price for them. Drugs fund terrorist organizations like the Taliban and gangs in general and keep them powerful and afloat. By ending the War on Drugs, the violence associated with the drug trade would decrease, similarly to what happened before and after the Prohibition Era. An article written by the University at Albany, titled “Organized Crime and Prohibition,” found that “Not only did the number of serious crimes increase, but crime became organized. Criminal groups organize around the steady source of income provided by laws against victimless crimes such as consuming alcohol or drugs, gambling and prostitution.”[3] The same thing is happening with the War on Drugs, where organizations are profiting off illegal drugs, and crime is continuing to increase. Also, too much money is being spent on the War on Drugs that should be going to other causes like ending poverty and improving our health care system. Therefore, the United States should end the War on Drugs.

Retired Police Captain Demolishes the War on Drugs

In October 2012, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) co-founder, Peter Christ, appeared on WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, NY and takes on all aspects of our disastrous War on Drugs. Captain Christ is vice-chair of LEAP and a former police officer.

Captain Christ makes excellent points as to why we should finally end this war and legalize drugs including how law enforcement’s function should not be to enforce morality. He states that it would be more beneficial to our society to have the drug marketplace run by professional, licensed adults as opposed to gangster, thugs, terrorists (which even includes children). We need to accept the fact that drugs are always going to be in our society and anyone who wants to take a specific illegal drug can find a way to get it; whether or not it’s legalized will, therefore, not be promoting as those opposed to drug legalization claim.

Perhaps Captain Christ’s most convincing point was comparing the current legalization of tobacco to the effects of drug legalization. In the last 10 years, 50% of adult cigarette smokers quit and we did not ban a single cigarette. All we need to do similar regulations for other drugs and people would not feel condoned, but instead inhibited.

The War on Drugs

The War on Drugs has taken on an increasing media relevancy in the past decade. The battle over marijuana legalization and decriminalization has been gaining traction in the news within the United States. This blog will explore the far reaching effects that the War on Drugs has had on countless victims. We will engage in discussions about both sides of the marijuana debate, as this is a prominent issue in today’s society. We will discuss different campaigns, media rhetoric, and initiatives taken in regards to the drug war.