The War on Drugs falsely inflates population numbers in conservative areas

[RainDog]

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/up-with-chris-hayes/46439131#46438848

hear about this issue at about 2:52 on the video link.

Prisons are located in rural areas and those populations are counted in political issues. iow, the war on drugs involves a huge transfer of population from urban to rural areas where people are locked up for a crime that is less dangerous than drinking a glass of wine.

Is it moral to create jobs for poor, rural white people by locking up and denying people of color their freedom?

[truedelphi]

1. One other point to make: Often poor rural areas are

Used by the powers that Be as dumping grounds for recently released former prisoners.

Sex offenders find it hard to get housing in urban areas (have to be "x" amount of city blocks between their housing and city schools.) In the rural areas, that is accomplished easier.

My home county puts up with this. And it really is a horrid thing to have happen to people, who aren't used to having to live with their doors locked.

[RainDog]

2. The War on Drugs reminds me of laws created in the south after the civil war

that targeted African-Americans for things that whites were allowed to do - in the current case, police do not generally lock up white college students, tho no doubt this population is just as likely to use marijuana (or other things) than someone in a traditional African-American urban neighborhood.

45.8% of all drug arrests in 2010 were for simple possession of cannabis - not selling or growing - just possession. Total arrests for marijuana were 52.1% of all drug arrests in 2010.

This is a travesty of justice in this nation.

Slavery by Another Name.

[toddwv]

3. I did some research on the "War on Drugs" a little while ago.

The numbers were shocking.

The "War on Drugs", in addition to being used to abrogate EVERYBODY'S freedoms has been nothing more than a "War on Minorities".

So what have we got in exchange? Higher rates of homicide and violent crime, hardly any effect on drug use in general, massive amounts of people locked up for non-violent crimes, huge sums of money to support a police state... the list goes on.

[RainDog]

4. Yes. Anyone who claims they care about equal rights

should care about this issue - it's the greatest abuse of power going on in our nation in relation to minorities at this time.

[truedelphi]

11. I agree with you.

I researched the issue back in Summer 0f 2000.

I found hundreds of accounts of women in California imprisoned on account of using marijuana for their MS. There they sat in their wheelchairs, ages forty five to sixty eight, trying to survive a horrendous disease, and being imprisoned because they grew their own, and didn't have the proper paper work done on Medical Marijuana.

One of the saddest stories I heard when investigating the issue of the War on Some Drugs is this one: a young black woman had inherited some money from her granma. She was a decent person, hard working, attending a local community college.

She bought a condo with some of her inheritance. Shortly after she moved in, a guy in her condo's immediate area, he started hitting on her, pressuring her for a date.

She was polite about it, but let him know she wasn't interested. He was a drug king pin. When he was arrested, he was able to "plea" his conviction down if he named his "business partners."

He named this young woman, to get even with her for her not dating him. The cops were pleased as punch. They knew he'd be a decent informant once he got out of jail. He got his sentence reduced down to three or four years.

The cops had someone plant cocaine in her refrigerator. She got nailed for it, and she is doing a twenty year sentence. She doesn't have anyone to snitch on, so she cannot reduce her sentence.

[Uncle Joe]

5. That was an overall good discussion.

Thanks for the thread, Raindog.

[RainDog]

8. yes. all of the first part of the program covers the WoD

the issue of forcibly removing a part of the population from one place to another was at that time notation.

And now - knowing that Bob Barr, one of the big drug warriors, is now lobbying to overturn laws he put in place just makes this affront to all Americans that much more outrageous... not to mention 2 Bush-Cheney Drug Czar office warriors now lobbying to make Bayerjuana™ legal.

[Uncle Joe]

9. That's ok Raindog, keep the faith,

they may try to just give it to big pharma, but that will be a major watershed moment and it won't last before the damn breaks.

Because the people will more than ever see through the lines of bullshit, propaganda brainwashing they were fed on cannabis and big pharma will not be able to contain it.

Peace to you.

[RainDog]

10. who knows

all I know is the sort of scientific hypocrisy that is used to justify making Bayerjuana™ a legal substance while keeping the herb illegal is the same sort of political b.s. that has surrounded this prohibition since its enactment.

But, yes, I do see that this nation has made progress toward eliminating this part of Reagan's southern strategy.

[salin]

6. Thanks for the link - point on!

Miss running into you, RainDog!