Liberals Win: Crack Dealer Sentences Slashed, So the Good Old Days Are Back

Earlier this year, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Commission finally succumbed to years of immense political pressure from the NAACP, left-wing judges, the ACLU and other liberal groups to decriminalize the federal penalties for trafficking in crack cocaine. Now upwards of 20,000 crack dealers will be released back on inner-city streets within the next 12 months. They’ve all had years of a steady diet of “gangsta” rap music and made new drug contacts in prison, and now will not be intimidated by the new, puny prison sentences for selling gram amounts of crack cocaine.

Many argued that the mandated five-to-10-year sentence for selling five-grams of crack should not be the same as another defendant selling 500 grams (one-half kilogram) of powdered cocaine. For you metrically challenged, a gram is the amount contained in a single packet of Splenda.

Liberals long ago drew the race card when they first cited the fact that 80 percent of persons convicted for crack sales are black, insinuating the government only targeted blacks. If that were true, only blacks would be in prison for crack sales. As far as I am concerned, the sentence for selling five grams of powdered cocaine should be the same as the old crack penalties, and hardly any blacks are convicted for that.

...NAACP, left-wing judges, the ACLU...

When crack cocaine first appeared on the scene, the black community was up in arms about the fact that the law did not discriminate between crack and powdered cocaine. So the penalties were raised. More black men went to jail and the 'friends of the black community' (NAACP, left-wing judges, the ACLU) came along and pushed to reduce the increased sentences, declaring that the differences were racist in nature. Now, a lot of animals will be let back onto the streets to prey on the black community.

The relationship between much of the black community and these groups (NAACP, left-wing judges, the ACLU, the Democratic party) is like an abused wife. "I know he beats me, but I can't leave him. I know he really loves me."

I totally agree with this situation. In particular I find the concept of “sentencing guidelines” within the federal system to be quite an overreach on the part of Congress.
>p>

Nevertheless, its my position that the federal government should not be involved in prosecuting drug crimes in the first place.

I totally agree with this situation. In particular I find the concept of “sentencing guidelines” within the federal system to be quite an overreach on the part of Congress.

Except that sentencing guidelines were a result of the judiciary's underreach when it came to handing out punishment. The Constitution gives Congress the right "To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;" [Art. 1, Sec. 8] and as long as the guideline falls within the statutory penalty range, a legitimate exercise of power IMHO.

PS Note the capitalization used in the Original Document. Court is capitalized; supreme is not. Hmmm.

This is a stupid article. The sentence for selling 5 grams of crack shouldn't be the same as the sentence for selling 500 grams of powdered cocaine. That's ridiculous. Crack and powdered cocaine aren't that much different, and all it takes to turn that powdered cocaine into crack is a little baking soda and water and a heat source. Anyone can make it in their kitchen with those simple ingredients and little more effort than it takes to boil eggs. And the bottom line is that it doesn't make a lick of difference to the drug trade when you lock up a bunch of small time drug dealers on long sentences. Everyone who wants drugs will still be able to get them. What the author really wants, as he said, is to increase the sentences for those caught selling powdered cocaine so they match the crack sentences. All that would do is fill our prisons and cost us a lot more money but it wouldn't make drugs more expensive or less easily available. It does result in lower crime because some of these people are out committing a lot more than just small time drug dealing, but it's a wasteful way to do it because a lot of these people who get popped aren't out there committing all sorts of other crimes. There is nothing wrong with locking up cocaine dealers, but they ought to all get similar sentences as others who have moved similar weight and to reduce violent and property crimes we should target those with a proven propensity to commit those crimes. Lock the thieves and the violent offenders up longer and that will reduce crime even more because these people who have gotten in enough trouble to warrant prison time are generally the types who will continue to commit these crimes after they get out of prison so the longer we keep thieves and violent criminals in the less thefts and violent crimes we'll have. That's a more effective use of our limited prison space. We need to be trying to get more bang for our buck.

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