The War On Drugs Hurts Black Men

[Stoner4Life]

U.S. government statistics confirm that the drug war is being waged in a racist manner ("Young black men need help," Opinion * Commentary, Dec. 24). According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 15 percent of the nation's drug users are black. But according to U.S. Justice Department figures, African-Americans account for 37 percent of those arrested for drug violations, more than 42 percent of those in federal prisons for drug violations and almost 60 percent of those in state prisons for drug felonies. Support for the drug war would end overnight if whites were incarcerated for drugs at the same rate that minority drug users are.

Racially disproportionate incarceration rates are not the only cause for alarm. Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency. And incarcerating non-violent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in anti-social behavior. It's time to declare peace in the failed drug war and begin treating all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public health problem that it is.


NewsHawk: Stoner4Life - 420Magazine.com
Source: Baltimore Sun
Pubdate: Fri, 29 Dec 2006
Author: Robert Sharpe
Copyright: 2006 The Baltimore Sun
Contact: letters@baltsun.com
Website: www.baltimoresun.com

 

[medMUser]

Black men can't be so stupid that they get cought easier. Seems more like they are targeted more. What a sham the whole drug war is any way.

The drug war was at first used to discriminate against Mexicans & Black people. Mexicans were blamed for bring the "killer weed" to the US. But it was here from somewhere around when Europeans first came to the US contenant. G.Washington & other prominante US Founding Fathers grew hemp & used cannabis as medicine. Funny how they didn't all die off from using the "killer weed".

One thing I would like the gestapo DEA to answer: If cannabis is so killer/dangerous, where are the bodies? Why is it that high profile Rx junkies like Rush Limburger get to go to rehab but a MJ user/possessor goes to jail? You Dumb Enforcement Agents like being used as tools by the big $$ synthetic pharma drug companies as their goons to protect their $$ margins? It doesn't bother you DEA & other drug cops that the big $$ pharma pushers kill 1,000s as we MJ med-users watch in dis-belief at your stupidity? Not to mention all the blown drug busts, the innocents you bust down the doors of or the ones you kill by "mistake"?

You guys need to wake up & smell the coffee. You are being used & manipulated to protect the Rx pushers...you can live with that...??? You guys are like dildos being forced up the rear end of the US public--hope you can live with yourselves. Not many others can.

I used the word dumb because the drug cops don't even know the history of MJ or that they are not required to to enforce un-just laws.Esp. laws based on lies, deception & mis-information. Instead of going after real crims you target mostly non-violent MJ users. Killed any more old ladies this week? Drug cops are so under educated in this regard...& few have the stones to stand up & say "Hey boss! The arrest & incarcerate policy is NOT working! The drug thing is bigger now than it ever was. Let's do something differant!"

mM

 

[Bud420Man]

Personally I feel black Americans are targeted as a whole. It's not so much the drug usage, or theft, murder, that INDIVIDUALS commit. I feel the "black communities" in some parts of the nation are just plain unfarily patroled. Whens the last time you went to your towns "ghetto" and didnt JUST SO HAPPEN to see 10 cop cars within a blocks radius?

Cops and law enforcement agencies have been targeting the slums or ghettos since time began, and this is why it's concieved as "normal". Now I understand that in some parts of the nation they are simply NEEDED because of crime, but as a whole sometimes I feel they are unfairly "protected".

Going on to MedMUser's post... Not only are law enforcement agencies "the dildos of society" (By the way... Way too funny haha), and are doing absolutly nothing to stop the flow of drugs, but it shouldnt even be a matter of law enforcement at all.

What ever happened to the privacy of the individuals? A person should have the right to do anything (drug related) they damn well please. The same with drug testing at work. Why the hell does that matter? Why are companies willing to not only f up an employees life, but to possibly fire one of there hardest workers. If there isnt a slow in performance, and they're on time, work hard, and show up to work sober THEN WHY DO YOU CARE WHAT THEY DO AT HOME ON THEIR COUCH? It's mind boggling.

It's got to be related to the federal government somehow. They are continually trying to become a major part of our everyday lives. The scary part is that eventually the more we keep giving them the more they are going to feel "we need them". Sooner or later this country is going to be ruled by a central government with all power, and not giving a shit what a person chooses to do with THEIR OWN LIFE.

I think i'll go throw up now.

 

[medMUser]

Just got through filling abucket my own self. You are right about the control thing. We have the food police in NYC going after trans-fats. They passed some law or ordinance making TFs illegal. Next it'll be against the law to eat meat.

It's the satanic spirit of control that is behind it all. Bush's un-Patriot Act is a great example. He wants us to be under control but leaves the borders open. How can the US have a secure country if the borders are wide open? Open borders is a direct contridiction of the PA. as so called security measure.

I used to party all night on occaision and go to work the next day. I was never affected work wise. Like you said if they do not mess up on the job people should be left alone.

mM

 

[Stoner4Life]

I'd have a hard time making reparations to black men for all the injustices levied against them.

A pet peeve I have here is the way our military has used black americans as so many expendable infantry men. Secondly I'll never forget the chain gangs that built I-95 (& so many other highways) in the 50s & 60s..... I'm sure there were plenty of hard labor sentences handed out for petty crimes to supply free labor to the state, as I recall the majority of those men were black.

It tears at me the way we've treated our citizens here...........