Friday, September 5, 2003

Propaganda and Terrorism: Brought to you by the DEA The Drug Enforcement Agency has a museum (check out the bizarre opening flash sequence!) The entire concept is an outrageous glorification of DEA propaganda and abuse. Their recent exhibit is the most disturbing: "Target America: Traffickers, Terrorists and You." Now there are a lot of people who have taken advantage of all those who died in 9/11, and used the tragedy for their own self-promotion, but none are as crass and insulting as the DEA. The exhibit has been running for some time at the main DEA museum location and at their online version (this photo of the main exhibit has been unavailable at their site recently). The exhibit is now moving to The Science Place in Dallas, Texas, where it opens on Tuesday (the exhibit was going to open next Thursday -- that's right, on September 11 -- but they decided to start it a couple of days early). In one of the descriptions of the exhibit in Dallas, you realize just how far the DEA has gone in their exhibit: "We worked closely with the New York Police Department and the Port Authority to go to Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill for artifacts," Mr. Fearns said. "That's where the exhibit starts, with this reconstruction of elements from New York and the Pentagon and photos from Pennsylvania." That's right. Children's toys and twisted I-beams. Death and destruction to glorify the DEA. If you're in the Dallas area, consider joining one of the protests against this exhibit at The Science Place (Saturday, September 13 and Saturday, September 20, 11am to 3pm at Fair Park at The Science Place). According to Craig Johnson, a student at UTD and leader of Students For a Sensible Drug Policy [University of Texas at Dallas chapter], the demonstrators are a group of concerned citizens who believe that "it is shocking for the DEA to exploit Americans' grief and anger over the tragic events of 9/11." "I am appalled that The Science Place is lending its prestige and spending its funds on an exhibit by the Drug Enforcement Administration," says Suzanne Wills of Dallas, a member of the Drug Policy Form of Texas, another of the groups represented. "In all its policies the DEA is the antithesis of science. The most glaring, inhumane, and disingenuous example is its refusal to allow researchers a supply of cannabis for medical trials approved by the Food and Drug Administration." Johnson added "while this crude exhibit remains in Dallas, it is our intention to counteract it with a campaign to show the public what little respect the DEA has for actual science, and the unintended but disastrous consequences of drug prohibition. Because of our government and the DEA huge profits go to the underworld, kids sell drugs to kids, diseases are spread by non-sterile syringes, and burglaries for money to buy drugs are epidemic." Note: A former DEA agent (Celerino Castillo) will be speaking out against the DEA at the September 20th protest. OK, let's look at the title of that exhibit again: "Target America: Traffickers, Terrorists and You." "Target America." Yep, that's exactly what the DEA has been doing for decades -- destroying lives, filling prisons, eviscerating rights, stifling research, and spreading lies. "Traffickers, Terrorists and You." Mostly "You." Remember that traffickers profit because of the war on drugs. And to the extend that terrorists benefit from drug profits it is also because of the profitability caused by the war on drugs. So that leaves... The DEA is targeting You. And you're paying for it. This week's newsletter readings (both mention the protests in Dallas): The Drug War Chronicle Drug Sense This just in... Journal retracts Ecstacy study; wrong drug had been tested 8:16:14 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []