Free Republic

A commission composed mostly of former world leaders will recommend Tuesday that governments move beyond legalizing marijuana and decriminalize and regulate the use of most other illegal drugs, including heroin and cocaine. The international drug-control system is broken, says a report to be released Tuesday in New York by the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Governments should be allowed wide latitude to experiment with the regulation of drugs, except for the most lethal, says the commission, whose 21 members include former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, and former presidents such as Brazil´s...

The federal sentencing of three ex-Atlanta police officers for the illegal drug raid that left a 92-year-old woman dead closes only one chapter in the tragic case, the Atlanta Police Department said Wednesday. ... Carnes imposed the most severe sentence — 10 years — on Smith, 36, who obtained the illegal, no-knock search warrant allowing officers to batter down Johnston’s door. A terrified Johnston, thinking she was victimized by a home invasion, fired a warning shot through the door. Narcotics officers responded with a hail of gunfire, killing her. ...

Often I see Libertarians refer to themselves as "Conservatives" or "Right". Yet, many times, on many web-boards, I see the libertarians taking the same positions as Demonrats, and they seem to support Demonrats over Republicans. I did a bit of research, and I found why this might be the case. Libertarianism is actually in the same political system as Liberalism. http://www.moral-politics.com/xPolitics.aspx?menu=Political_Ideologies&action=Draw&choice=PoliticalIdeologies.All

Funk legend George Clinton has pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charges in Tallahassee, Fla. Clinton, 63, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and two years of probation. He was also fined $372 in court costs. The musician was arrested in December sitting in a car near his Tallahassee recording studio; police said when they approached, he volunteered that he had cocaine in his pocket. He was found with a bag of crack cocaine and a glass pipe, police said. A felony possession charge was dropped before yesterday's (Aug. 11) hearing. Clinton, who is scheduled to...

Since my last vanity announcement on keywords went so swimmingly (it ended up with something like 5000 keywords added to it) I thought a great idea would be to throw some propane on some other fires with a vanity. Breaking news is being abused again, big time. This goes in cycles, with sometimes people being responsible, but other times people not being very responsible. We are in one of the not-very time periods. Please, do not post something in Breaking News because you think it is something you want people to see. Place something in Breaking News only if it...

This isn’t the first time in our history that we’ve had the possibility of dangerous weapons in the hands of a leader we didn’t trust, and this won’t be the first time we’ve responded to this possible threat with a military assault. In 1992, the U.S. federal government conducted a military siege at Ruby Ridge, ultimately killing Randy Weaver's dog, son and wife. Mr. Weaver was suspected of being a cult leader, hording weapons and ammunition for anti-government purposes. The government was never able to prove their allegations, but ends-justify-the-means justice was the explanation for the loss of life. Did...

HOUSE, No. 1223 By Mr. Hill of Ipswich (by request), petition of Steven S. Epstein for legislation to further regulate the use of marijuana. The Judiciary. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ______________________ In the Year Two Thousand and One. ______________________ AN ACT TO REGULATE MARIJUANA IN THE COMMONWEALTH. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. The definition of “marihuana” appearing in section one of chapter ninety-four C of the General Laws as appearing in the 1998 Official Edition, is stricken. SECTION 2. The...

America's Libertarian Party services only one purpose: Distracting and confusing the determined combatants in all our critical national struggles. Consider the preposterous Libertarian role in the just concluded midterm elections. South Dakota represented ground zero in the struggle for control of the Senate, and Republican John Thune and incumbent Democrat Tim Johnson fought to a virtual tie--with only 527 votes (less than 0.2 percent of the vote) dividing them. Meanwhile, 3,071 votes went to Libertarian Kurt Evans, a 32-year-old teacher who listed as one of his prime preparations for the Senate that his father is a known Country & Western...

<p>A new species is appearing more frequently in Sequoia National Park: marijuana. During the past month, park rangers and law enforcement officials have uprooted 19 marijuana gardens from the Mineral King and South Fork areas of the park. Officials disposed of more than 35,000 plants -- with an estimated street value of more than $140 million -- in an undisclosed Tulare County site.</p>