Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Troopers telling lies, troopers selling cocaine, cops peddling coke, Border Patrols agents peddling pot, cops peddling cocaine and pot, but not a single jail or prison guard this week!
2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference
If you're wondering why the blog has been kinda quiet this week, it's because the entire StoptheDrugwar.org staff is at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference. We're enjoying New Orleans with fellow reformers from around the country and beyond.
As much as I'd love to blog the whole thing, I'm finding myself delightfully distracted by old friends, excellent panels, and the city itself. This place is like Amsterdam for alcoholics, and while I've managed to keep myself under control, I won't deny enjoying the privilege of being allowed/encouraged to drink beer in the street at night.
Fortunately for you, Pete Guither is less indulgent than myself, and he's managing to blog the hell out of the conference over at DrugWarRant. He'll be at it for two more days, so check him out because I can't guarantee much content over here until the Drug War Chronicle comes out tomorrow.
The biggest stir thus far has been an appearance by Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. That's right folks, the World Drug Czar actually engaged the reform community and lived to tell about it. In addition to Pete's coverage, Jacob Sullum has a nice wrap up at reason.
If the blogging bug bites me, I'll be back, otherwise see ya next week.
As much as I'd love to blog the whole thing, I'm finding myself delightfully distracted by old friends, excellent panels, and the city itself. This place is like Amsterdam for alcoholics, and while I've managed to keep myself under control, I won't deny enjoying the privilege of being allowed/encouraged to drink beer in the street at night.
Fortunately for you, Pete Guither is less indulgent than myself, and he's managing to blog the hell out of the conference over at DrugWarRant. He'll be at it for two more days, so check him out because I can't guarantee much content over here until the Drug War Chronicle comes out tomorrow.
The biggest stir thus far has been an appearance by Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. That's right folks, the World Drug Czar actually engaged the reform community and lived to tell about it. In addition to Pete's coverage, Jacob Sullum has a nice wrap up at reason.
If the blogging bug bites me, I'll be back, otherwise see ya next week.
Weekly: This Week in History
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Ignorance and Credibility in the Drug War Reform Movement
I read a recent comment posted by a reader which really got me thinking about an issue that has been discussed here previously. Basically, this reader's comments about the War on Drugs seemed reasonable but when he started talking making comparisons to other political issues he betrayed himself an utter ignoramus (like on a G.W. Bush level). I have met other people of the same variety in real life -- i.e. was pleased when I found out that out similar drug reform sympathies as myself but then when I heard them talk more or about something else (or even sometimes their inability to explain their own views and/or why they are against the status quo). Basically, if they are talking about what is going on with the War on Drugs they sound somewhat smart and even decently well-read, but as soon as anything else comes up in the discussion I can't help but begin to worry about the deplorable state of public education in the U.S.