Washington Post has a light-hearted story, Boomers see views relaxing on marijuana, that looks at marijuana use among suburban adults in the D.C. area. The gist is that lots of yuppie-types have been having a blast for many years, but it just recently became ok to talk about it, thanks to the evolution of cultural attitudes about marijuana.
Obviously, it's awesome to see the media finally picking up on how normal and boring most marijuana users are. Replacing the old stereotypes is a necessary step towards reform, and few would argue that D.C.'s affluent suburbs need to be purged of professionals who puff in private. So this reaction from local law-enforcement is as predictable as it is revealing:
I suppose we can't let old white people become collateral damage in our crusade to arrest entire generations of young black and Hispanic men for smoking pot? Our laws against marijuana owe their origins to the most vicious and transparent racism, and today, the drug war delivers on its hateful promise in the form of gratuitous disparities at every stage of the criminal justice system.
How remarkable it is to find police literally admitting that their great war doesn't target the most privileged among us. I wonder, how freely did the words flow from the police spokesman's mouth as he unintentionally confirmed the vast disparity that defines and sustains the war on marijuana? It's powerfully ironic that, in an attempt to say as little as possible, the officer ended up epitomizing the pure injustice that has long characterized the enforcement of our marijuana laws.
Obviously, it's awesome to see the media finally picking up on how normal and boring most marijuana users are. Replacing the old stereotypes is a necessary step towards reform, and few would argue that D.C.'s affluent suburbs need to be purged of professionals who puff in private. So this reaction from local law-enforcement is as predictable as it is revealing:
Most Washington area police departments enforce the laws that make marijuana illegal, officials said. A Montgomery County police spokesman would not comment other than to say that the department has seen no spike in marijuana use by older residents and is not targeting those users.
I suppose we can't let old white people become collateral damage in our crusade to arrest entire generations of young black and Hispanic men for smoking pot? Our laws against marijuana owe their origins to the most vicious and transparent racism, and today, the drug war delivers on its hateful promise in the form of gratuitous disparities at every stage of the criminal justice system.
How remarkable it is to find police literally admitting that their great war doesn't target the most privileged among us. I wonder, how freely did the words flow from the police spokesman's mouth as he unintentionally confirmed the vast disparity that defines and sustains the war on marijuana? It's powerfully ironic that, in an attempt to say as little as possible, the officer ended up epitomizing the pure injustice that has long characterized the enforcement of our marijuana laws.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
The Race Card is a Dead End
In terms of marijuana, the race card is a dead end. Yes, politicians are terrified of being called racists. Yes, there are racial issues at play in the grand scheme of things, but honestly they won't be what wins the day: what will win the day are economics and the American need for liberty. In truth the issue is MUCH more one of RICH vs POOR, but the 1% of people in power are perfectly happy to let less affluent and often less educated individuals think the matter is RACIAL. After all, that's a simpler way to look at it. Why not turn turn (poor) whites against (poor) blacks and vice versa. Cletus in the trailer park is in every bit as much danger of becoming a victim of prohibition as Tyrone in the ghetto. But you know who isn't getting busted? Michael Phelps and Barrack Obama.
What wins the day are the economic arguments for more money and more jobs
What wins the day are the compassion arguments for helping the sick
What wins the day is this:
In order for prohibitionists to WIN their War on Drugs, they **MUST** come up with a real reason, no matter how scared they are for their kids, why it's okay for the police to knock on your door and take you away for minding your own business in your own home. How is that okay? How does my smoking pot equate AUTOMATICALLY to my being a criminal (or even being an "addict" for the so called liberal sympathizer)? How is that keeping with the laws of liberty in this country-- when the CLEAR intent of our founding fathers is that as long as I'm not harming you, you stay away from my liberty.
They need a reason.
The health scares are mostly disproven (it's even proven that pot doesn't kill brain cells like alcohol)
Gateway is disproven (what's the first drug children try.... survey says: Caffeine!)
Nobody takes the reefer madness seriously.
They have traffic accidents, carcinogens and chilren.
The carcinogen argument is the new gateway: false, but they won't let it go.
The children argument is falling on deaf ears: why does your poor parenting equate to my criminality?
The traffic accident argument is limp and weak.
All that's left are fear mongering from law enforcement (MARIJUANA DESTROYS LIVES... yeah, right), yet by public referendum the decriminalization passed in Mass last year by a greater margin than Obama won his entire election.
Times they are definitely changing.
D.C. Burbs
"and few would argue that D.C.'s affluent suburbs need to be purged of professionals who puff in private."
What-da-ya-do? Flush 'em out and make 'em share? (LOL)
No One Messes With Old White People
Old white people have money and lawyers. Screw over an old white person on some trivial pot charge and they will sue the arresting officers, town, county, state and governor on some esoteric civil rights violation. Or hit the officer with their cane. Imagine the nerve wracking damage inflicted on arresting officers when they’re forced to haul some hysterical, elderly female blue-hair prima donna to the local slammer on a marijuana possession charge. Not pretty.
Far easier and better to bust some young black kid who’s financial circumstances force this latest unfortunate drug law victim to rely upon a public defender, a counselor whose primary function is to get his client to plead guilty. For cops who like to work the system, it’s a much cheaper way to get inflated arrest statistics and overtime pay.
The example shows how the drug war machine relies upon well greased cogs to optimize financial gain. The justice system would rather not spend a lot of money and effort on the drug war because that affects its return on investment (ROI). Forfeiture, fines, and so forth, buffer the cost. And at local levels, the federal financial assistance given to financially strapped, backwater towns makes their economies dependant upon the local prison industry. All these things add momentum to the drug war.
Stopping the drug war juggernaut requires eliminating the ROI. That means no more cheap, production-line convictions that make things easy for the courts and the system. Every drug case should become a thorn in the side of the judicial establishment. Monkey wrench the system and see it react to learn how the drug war fraud works. Use and share what is learned. Eliminate the ROI, and you will eliminate the drug war.
Giordano
My recent diary on Daily Kos was on this subject
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/11/803201/-Calling-all-pot-smoking...!
Nice topic
Im glad i drop by here, im wondering why marijuanna became legal?
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