Monday, April 10, 2006

We're way ahead of the politicians Here's a big part of our problem. In this column by Bill McLellan in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he talks favorably about a visit from LEAP member Howard Woolridge. McLellan, like Woolridge, thinks that all drugs should be legalized and regulated. But what about the politicians? ...I wondered if we are about to reach the second phase of this particular fight. That would be getting the politicians on board. The people are ahead of the pols on this. [...] But what politician dares speak the truth to this issue? I remember when James Gierach ran in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Illinois in 1994. He was a straight arrow, a former assistant state's attorney from Cook County. He had reached the same conclusion that Woolbridge has reached. Party leaders treated Gierach as if he were a nut. He was not even allowed to participate in the debates, so he crashed them, and the papers, including this one, made his crusade seem like a farce. Even now, when I mention legalization to candidates, they say, "Can you imagine what my opponents would do to me in a 30-second attack commercial?" So the politicians leave the truth to fellows like Woolbridge.... If only politicians could handle the truth! Ah, but I must be some kind of deluded idealist to even imagine such a thing. 11:25:03 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

99 year sentence for making meth Link Let's see, at roughly $25,000 per year in taxpayer money to pay for his prison lodging... 6:49:41 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Official Dare Generation Day President Bush is showing his eagerness to reward failure by declaring tomorrow National DARE Day 2006. Hammer of Truth got a better idea and declared April 11 an official DARE Generation Day. The DARE Generation are the fabulous members of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. Classy idea. 10:05:08 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Candid discussion Peter Letang, Delaware's former chief prosecutor says that we're losing the drug war. He talks about the costs and the profit incentives connected to prohibition. He doesn't have a firm solution, but he's willing to talk about it. I do not vote anyone else's proxy in making these comments, but I can report that a number of police officers, members of the Criminal Justice Council, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys and corrections staff, have spoken to me echoing my thoughts. I am intrigued that those conversations have generally been in hushed tones. I do not regard a recommendation for dialogue on this subject to be blasphemy, and I do recognize that there are downsides to attempting to reduce the profit from the drug market. I am equally aware, however, that the societal impact of what we have been attempting over the past many years has been frustrating, in large part ineffective and expensive. Candid discussions today will impact the next generation. This is a sign that we're making some serious progress. Part of the problem in the past has been that the prohibitionists have created an environment where simply talking about options other than prohibition was considered some kind of equivalent to treason. But now we're seeing more people from all walks of life speaking up and, at the very least, questioning the validity of the drug war. These are all cracks in the facade that is propping up prohibition. Looks like Peter Letang is a potential candidate for joining Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, if he hasn't already. 9:24:10 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []