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This is Your War on Drugs
The Atlantic ^ | 05/08/2010 | The Atlantic

Posted on 05/08/2010 4:31:30 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour

Andrew has already posted this, and I'm late to the game because I couldn't bring myself to watch it, but nonetheless, I feel compelled to remark. Yes, folks, this is your war on drugs:

VIDEO:

After he watched it, my more temperate better half was literally shaking with anger. My anger is mixed with a sort of bleak despair that this sort of thing could happen in America, and worse, that so few people care. You shoot two dogs in front of a seven year old--who could have been killed by a stray round, and at the very least will carry this hideous recollection to the grave. And why? For misdemeanor pot possession?

This response is nonsensical. It's like hearing that they came too late to catch the family bootlegging cable. Sure it's illegal, and maybe it's even wrong. But "dealer-sized" pot possession isn't necessarily related to actual drug dealings--I have several friends right now who probably qualify, and I'm pretty sure they aren't going to do anything that merits a SWAT intervention, because those sorts of things can get you drummed right out of your Tuesday-night book club, not to mention how they'd take it at the Rotary.

SNIP

This is our nation's drug enforcement in a nutshell. We started out by banning the things. And people kept taking them. So we made the punishments more draconian. But people kept selling them. So we pushed the markets deep into black market territory, and got the predictable violence . . . and then we upped our game, turning drug squads into quasi-paramilitary raiders. Somewhere along the way, we got so focused on enforcing the law that we lost sight of the purpose of the law, which is to make life in America better.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; warondrugs; wod
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To: rottndog

See post 15.


21 posted on 05/08/2010 5:28:56 PM PDT by ansel12 (MITT: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush")
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To: ansel12
legalizing crime

Clueless idiot. It is a crime because a law was passed making it illegal.

22 posted on 05/08/2010 5:29:56 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: Tunehead54
When the sarcasm drips off the bottom of your screen and forms a pool on your desk a /sarc tag seems unnecessary ... ;-)

You would think so but lately around here it's sometimes hard to tell.

I could have jumped down the posters throat....

23 posted on 05/08/2010 5:30:39 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Because without America, there is no free world" - Canada Free Press - MSM, where are you?)
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To: ansel12

We won’t be legalizing the drug underworld.

Instead we would be decriminalizing choices made by individuals where drug usage is involved—huge difference.

Worked out pretty well with the repeal of prohibition, when we decriminalized the individual choice to consume alcohol.

And, BTW, these tactics used by police are getting worse, not better, considering the perverse incentives they have with forfeiture laws, especially in a time of tight budgets.


24 posted on 05/08/2010 5:35:57 PM PDT by rottndog (WOOF!!! Be prepared for what's coming AFTER America.....)
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To: cripplecreek
The government isn’t exactly fighting the war on illegal immigration and look at the money and violence there.

Very true, but smuggling illegals is not a multi billion dollar a year venture.

Those cops could have nabbed the guy outside going to work in the morning or whenever he came out side, there was no reason to jeopardize the kid and woman in the house let alone shoot the family pets.....and let's not go into how many times they get the wrong house.

I'm sure the kid will grow up with a real positive outlook on cops when he grows up too.

25 posted on 05/08/2010 5:36:12 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Because without America, there is no free world" - Canada Free Press - MSM, where are you?)
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To: AndyJackson

Jeez, what was in that post to make you start name calling?


26 posted on 05/08/2010 5:36:49 PM PDT by ansel12 (MITT: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush")
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To: Las Vegas Ron
I'm sure the kid will grow up with a real positive outlook on cops when he grows up too.

Methinks the cops involved should be prosecuted for psychological abuse of the child.
27 posted on 05/08/2010 5:37:55 PM PDT by rottndog (WOOF!!! Be prepared for what's coming AFTER America.....)
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To: rottndog

And child endangerment.


28 posted on 05/08/2010 5:40:06 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Because without America, there is no free world" - Canada Free Press - MSM, where are you?)
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To: rottndog
Worked out pretty well with the repeal of prohibition, when we decriminalized the individual choice to consume alcohol.

I'll tell you something that doesn't work with me, that is trying to confuse thousands of years of the white man's relationship with alcohol, and Western Civilization's alcohol culture and the odd prohibition decade in America, with importing the Arab culture of Hashish and dope, forever.

29 posted on 05/08/2010 5:42:11 PM PDT by ansel12 (MITT: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush")
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

What about the elderly lady in Atlanta who was victim to the ‘no knock warrant’ based on the false information of a drug addict. She protected herself and got shot over and over and over for it.

Yeah, that procedure REALLY helped America be a better place. /s


30 posted on 05/08/2010 5:52:06 PM PDT by autumnraine (America how long will you be so deaf and dumb to the chariot wheels carrying you to the guillotine?)
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To: ansel12

People have used these narcotics as long as they have been on the face of the earth.

It’s only since prohibition that the harder drugs have become more prominent. Crack only came about as a cheaper substitute for regular cocaine—the economics of it is just part of human nature.

Have you ever considered that if marijuana were legal, many people would never even get into the harder drugs?


31 posted on 05/08/2010 5:52:40 PM PDT by rottndog (WOOF!!! Be prepared for what's coming AFTER America.....)
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To: rottndog
Worked out pretty well with the repeal of prohibition, when we decriminalized the individual choice to consume alcohol.

But it's still illegal to manufacture alcohol. Under Rottndog rule will it still be illegal to grow dope?

32 posted on 05/08/2010 6:21:11 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Everyone needs valid ID except illegal aliens and the President - only in America)
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To: AndyJackson; Skepolitic
" If you think your sarcasm is obvious, there are a lot of serious WOD-loving social conservatives here on FR who would write just what you did and mean it."

That describes a problem other than the lack of a sarcasm tag.


33 posted on 05/08/2010 6:32:19 PM PDT by I see my hands (_8(|)
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To: VeniVidiVici
But it's still illegal to manufacture alcohol.

Each person is allowed a certain amount of wine and beer that they can make.

34 posted on 05/08/2010 6:52:41 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Not really...

Arresting criminals isn't risky? It's not dangerous?

35 posted on 05/08/2010 6:55:09 PM PDT by Ajnin
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To: AndyJackson
Each person is allowed a certain amount of wine and beer that they can make.

Well, great! We'll let them grow catnip too!

36 posted on 05/08/2010 7:00:15 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Everyone needs valid ID except illegal aliens and the President - only in America)
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To: Las Vegas Ron

I know what you mean - my 1st check is the poster’s sign up date - newbie merits further investigation - 2 year’s plus - its probably a misunderstanding ...

If I’m really wondering, I check their “In Forum” - posts to get a feel for their basic philosophy - in this case I did neither - til now - he’s a newbie but has coherent thoughts, good background knowledge with sarcastic tendencies - which could describe a lot of us here ... ;-)


37 posted on 05/08/2010 7:14:08 PM PDT by Tunehead54 (Nothing funny here ;-)
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To: yoe
"Cops take a huge risk every day but this is inexcusable....shows poor planning with deplorable information leading up to this disgrace."

This was not poor planning. It was poor character. These cops are pure evil.

38 posted on 05/08/2010 7:23:18 PM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (Don't nuke me, bro)
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To: I see my hands
That describes a problem other than the lack of a sarcasm tag.

That was my point. The 5th column of Warriors on Drugs in our midst really makes it hard to call oneself a conservative. I am not sure which is worse, shooting a dog or doing it in front of a 7 year old. If I were on the jury I would give $20 M to the owner for the dogs, trebled for malice, and $20M to the kid for the trauma, trebled for malice. Oh, did I say that would be against each SWAT member present + the chief of police + the DA.

39 posted on 05/08/2010 7:24:04 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: AndyJackson

I hope I get on that jury.


40 posted on 05/08/2010 7:33:39 PM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (Don't nuke me, bro)
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