(Queen Sheila) Jackson Lee applauds new law reducing crack cocaine penalties

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 03, 2010 | Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

[a fool in paradise]

If the problem was just disparity in mandatory minumum sentencing, why didn't we just raise the penalty for powdered cocaine abuse/sale?

[A CA Guy]

She feels she won a major victory for her constituents.

[a fool in paradise]

Queen Sheila PING.

In summary, I I I, race card, I I I.

I omitted the photo. Hopefully she didn’t trample some poor soul who got between her and a camera.

[stylin19a]

game,set,match.

[rhombus]

I’m surprised they didn’t reduce the cost of powdered cocaine so poor folk could afford the good stuff. ;-)

[a fool in paradise]

According to U.S. government statistics, 82 percent of federal crack cocaine offenders are African American and only 9 percent are white...

How many federal prosecutions are there for crack vs. local prosecutions?

[LukeL]

What has done more to harm society, crack, or powder cocaine?

[a fool in paradise]

Maybe she can fight for subsidies so that she can help out the several communities, including the one with undocumented importers.

[circlecity]

"crack and powder cocaine, substances that are chemically indistinguishable,"

Well, the ethanol in pure grain alcohol is indistinguishable from the ethanol in near-beer but there is a major difference between the two. If you don't believe it let someone who has drank a quart of near beer drive you then let someone drive you who has drank a quart of Everclear. If you survive the latter you'll understand the point I'm making.

[KarlInOhio]

The reason for the higher penalties in the first place was because blacks were screaming that crack was a scourge destroying their neighborhoods, as opposed to powdered cocaine which was seen as a little upper and upper-middle class nose candy.

[onyx]

God Almighty, the stupid bitch misses the whole point.

Crack kills. It’s sold to the young and poor by the young and poor.

[Terry Mross]

I did not realize that making fun of her braids falls under the category of racism. But she set me straight several days after the health care vote.

[bassmaner]

What has done more to harm society, crack, or powder cocaine?

Prohibition laws, and the violent black market that they create.

[onyx]

Zactly. You said it much better than my poor attempt.

They were screaming that crack was killing their children.

[Tolsti2]

Crack obviously, but I’m not sure I’d say 100 times more. I’d simply meet them in the middle about 50x more than current cocaine.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Medical crack cocaine?

[gundog]

What has done more to harm society: crack, powder cocaine, or having idiots like Sheila Jackson Lee in Congress?

[a fool in paradise]

Queen Sheila recently spoke out about 2 Vietnams living peacefully side by side , North AND South.

[LukeL]

So all drugs should be legal? What about prescription drugs? Should they all be OTC as well?

[a fool in paradise]

Please ping me when the Transfat gang wars break out.