Drug WarRant Wednesday, November 12, 2003 Dance Ten, Looks Three Blogging is going to be a little bit light for the next week and a half. I'm playing the piano for a production of "A Chorus Line" which will be going up Tuesday at 5:30 pm and Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 pm (Nov. 18-20) in Capen Auditorium on the Illinois State University campus. Admission is free. So I've been in rehearsal 4-5 hours a night along with regular work for a couple of weeks, and this is the crunch time (and I've got to do more practicing on my own). I'm also hosting a visiting guest artist (Chad Wise of New Millennium Theatre Company) on Saturday, plus doing a theatrical photo shoot for Illinois Wesleyan's production of "Our Country's Good" on Monday, and Illinois State's production of "Pride's Crossing" on Tuesday (after my performance of "A Chorus Line"). All of this combined with a busy time at work. I'll still let you know about any big news that comes up. But if you're looking for more of a drug war info fix, be sure to check out Last One Speaks - Libby has some great stuff, having just returned from the Drug Policy Alliance Convention. Also, TalkLeft always seems to be on top of breaking news. Check out some of the links at left and even more here. When I get some time, I have an addition to make to the Drug War Victims page. It's a story from some time ago that demands more attention than I can give it now. Also, I've had inquiries as to setting up a forum for other people who have something to say about the drug war, but don't have their own blog. So I'm going to be planning a more formalized guest rant arrangement. Start writing if you're so moved, and feel free to send me any submissions you have. 11:38:53 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment [] Tuesday, November 11, 2003 Smart on Crime Via Hit and Run comes this excellent article by Fox Butterfield in the New York Times: With Cash Tight, States Reassess Long Jail Terms. In the past year, about 25 states have passed laws eliminating some of the lengthy mandatory minimum sentences so popular in the 1980's and 1990's, restoring early release for parole and offering treatment instead of incarceration for some drug offenders. In the process, politicians across the political spectrum say they are discovering a new motto. Instead of being tough on crime, it is more effective to be smart on crime. Finally, a new motto: Smart on Crime. We need to hope that it takes root, and do everything we can to promote it. For decades, we have watched politicians trying to one-up each other in being tough on crime. Politician A: "I'm tough on crime." Politician B: "I'm tougher on crime. My opponent is actually soft on crime" Politician A: "I'm toughest on crime. I've just proposed a bill to increase..." Politician B: "My opponent's bill isn't as tough on crime as my new bill..." By the time they've finished comparing penises, some pot smoker's getting extended jail time, and we're paying for it. We're buying new prisons; we're paying for incarceration at a cost of around $24,000 per year per inmate; we're facing the devastation in families and communities; we're paying for bloated enforcement regimes; we're paying in lost rights; in some cases, we're paying with our lives. And all because some politicians are afraid to appear flaccid. But maybe, just maybe, we can convince them that "smart" is sexier than "tough," and if politicians learn to be smart on crime, we could have some positive changes, because they'll soon learn that: Putting away non-violent drug offenders isn't being smart on crime. Spending more on drug enforcement than drug treatment isn't being smart on crime. Locking up medical marijuana users isn't being smart on crime. Jailing glass pipe makers isn't being smart on crime. One-size-fits-all sentencing minimums isn't being smart on crime. Having the largest prison population in the world isn't being smart on crime. Tell your elected officials that you want them to be smart. [Update: Talk Radio Refugee has more on this.] 9:47:51 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment [] Sunday, November 9, 2003 Clowns on C-Span Friday, on C-Span, our beloved Minister of Drug Policy Disinformation, a.k.a. the Drug Czar, was given the opportunity to repeat some of his favorite exaggerations, misleading data, and inoperative statements (a.k.a. lies). He also took phone calls. It was an opportunity to see the Czar in action. He's got the pitch down pretty smooth, although you could tell he's not used to speaking in more than sound bites. After the first speech, he started repeating himself, rambling a bit, and interconnecting everything (although that's an additional part of his bag of tricks). There were about 4 phone calls divided between republicans and democrats. All of them opposed the current drug policy and John Walters. My favorite caller line: "Mr. Walters, I think you're a terrible hypocrite." I felt sorry for the callers. With all the crap that they've heard from the Drug Czar in so many areas, they finally had the opportunity to face him. The trouble: each caller seemed to try to address everything from medical marijuana to recreational legalization to drug war policies, to industrial hemp in one rambling question. This gave Walters the opportunity to answer any part he wanted and ignore the rest. Again, I understand -- I'd probably do the same thing (I'm itching to debate him!)... - Read the rest of the post (including transcripts of Walter's Remarks and my responses). - 4:08:04 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment [] Clowns on C-Span')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()">