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Chemy
Jesus is Lord
Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 6,276
Loc: A Church
Last seen: 14 years, 3 months
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$70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free
#8441300 - 05/24/08 06:17 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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$70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free Erin Hildebrandt Salem-News.com
Outdated drug laws intended to lock non-violent offenders in jail results in more leeway and fewer arrests for violent criminals and predators.
(SALEM, Ore.) - Imagine a town, somewhere in the United States. At the local police station, Officer Joe is pouring himself a cup of coffee at the start of his shift, when a call comes in. A citizen thinks she smells marijuana coming from her neighbor’s house.
Joe proceeds to respond to the call, driving the 30 or so odd miles to the house. Just then, another call comes in. An armed man has taken 27 children hostage at the local elementary school – now 25 miles away from Joe’s location.
In this extreme example, there can be no doubt that Joe should abandon his investigation of the marijuana smell and proceed immediately to the school. No officer in his right mind would consider putting children’s lives at risk, in order to pursue the smell of cannabis, would he?
But on a larger scale, when we fund drug enforcement to the tune of 70 billion dollars every year, we are effectively putting lives at risk by not funding other important police work.
Officers are only charged with enforcing the laws that “we the people,” through our legislators enact, and according to the priorities these legislators reflect through their funding of all of the various departments of law enforcement. We must demand that our leaders choose to prioritize the health and safety of our nation’s communities, over policing the personal morals of the citizens of the “Land of the Free.”
As a nation, we’ve lost sight of the forest for the trees. We’ve charged law enforcement officers with the awesome responsibility of not only preventing violent crime and apprehending violent criminals, but we’ve further empowered them to act as the morality police, saving America from the evils of everything from cigarette smoke to cannabis to sex toys to, of all the crazy things – certain kinds of fat! Where does it end?
The U.S. currently incarcerates more people for non-violent crimes, than for violent crimes. We lock up more of our citizens per capita than any other nation, even Russia, China and Cuba. Yet, according to national data from the FBI for 2006, the clearance rate for all violent crime was an abysmal 44.3%. Our current approach is not working. In all of this often politically-driven chaos, our priorities have been perverted.
It’s time to reprioritize.
For decades we’ve waged a “War on Drugs,” supposedly designed to prevent and deter the abuse of ten substances through their prohibition. Instead of encouraging our citizens to abide by the laws of the land, this war on some drugs encourages entrepreneurial anarchy in a game “won” by survival of the most corrupt and callously capitalistic.
It has driven the major funding for organized crime and terrorism, created and maintains a black market so enormous that it rivals the wealthiest industries on Earth, and which has become directly responsible for far too much of the vigilante violence in our communities. It encourages everyone who would dare to taste the forbidden fruit to live outside of, and develop disrespect and disregard for, the laws of our land.
Instead of seeing heroes among police officers, suburbanites like me grow up to become adults who fear law enforcement. We view them as potential threats, terrorizing patients who need medical marijuana and pursuing and persecuting cannabis consumers, while child rapists are given slaps on the wrist – some never spending a single day in jail, even for raping multiple children. And that only includes the small percentage of predators that are caught.
Additionally, NIDA reports indicate that survivors of sexual assault are 4-10 times more likely to abuse illegal drugs, than those who do not suffer abuse. Incarcerating non-violent survivors of rape for using drugs to self-medicate anxiety, depression and other symptoms of PTSD, while allowing their perpetrators to roam our streets with impunity, does not make us safer.
A legislator once challenged me on the issue of medical marijuana. He said that he didn’t want to support an amendment to a funding bill which would have protected medical marijuana patients. His reason for objecting, however, surprised me. He said that he didn’t want to single out marijuana from every other medicine. He wanted to see all drugs regulated equally.
This makes perfect sense to me. As a patient with Crohn’s Disease, who relies on medical marijuana to ease severe symptoms, I couldn’t really argue with his logic. I could only ask him whether he felt it would be a wise investment of our scarce resources to send the DEA to break down my door, terrorize my five young children, and haul me off to jail, just for taking my medicine? He had to admit that would be a very poor use of our resources, and I’m thrilled to say he’s supported the Rohrabacher - Hinchey Medical Marijuana Amendment for four years in a row.
I keep coming back to that meeting with the Congressman in my mind, because I’d very much like to see his vision come to fruition. By regulating all drugs equally, effectively ending prohibition once and for all, we could accomplish what the originators of prohibition first promised – actually reducing drug abuse and violent crime in our nation.
No longer can we afford to funnel tens of billions of dollars annually into a “War on Drugs,” which effectively ensures the perpetual funding of organized crime and terrorism. We must not waste the precious time of our law enforcement officers in chasing down the sick and dying who need medical marijuana, while child rapists roam our communities, knowing that their chances of even getting caught, let alone doing any time in prison, are very low.
Do we want to cut crime in our nation by half?
Do we want to eliminate drug dealing overnight?
Do we want our police officers spending our scarce resources to pursue people who prefer cannabis to cocktails, or do we have more important work for them to do?
It all comes down to our priorities.
To learn more about prohibition and why “cops say legalize drugs,” please visit: LEAP.cc.
For more information about medical marijuana and prohibition, please visit: ParentsEndingProhibition.org (currently undergoing revision).
http://salem-news.com/articles/may242008/pot_culture_5-24-08.php
-------------------- Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous Get help, help is free and available 24/7/365. God bless you all and I hope you receive the help you need to turn away from your lives of sin. Mushrooms and drugs make you gay, you can reverse this homosexual condition with rehab, get help! Stop being gay!
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LSDaytripper
Believer
Registered: 08/04/07
Posts: 649
Loc: Ohio
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Chemy]
#8441518 - 05/24/08 07:41 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Canada, here I come!
-------------------- ***** (10:42:46 PM): This is so strange ***** (10:42:53 PM): Becuase I feel that I am very altered ***** (10:42:57 PM): But at the same exact time ***** (10:43:28 PM): I am closer to the real me, the real me who decides who I am, the entire me
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Coaster
Baʿal
Registered: 05/22/06
Posts: 33,501
Loc: Deep in the Valley
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: LSDaytripper]
#8441531 - 05/24/08 07:44 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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$5 trillion and terrorists remain larger than ever
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Chemy
Jesus is Lord
Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 6,276
Loc: A Church
Last seen: 14 years, 3 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: LSDaytripper]
#8441554 - 05/24/08 07:50 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
LSDaytripper said: Canada, here I come!
Ignore your flight response, be an American and use your fight response to write letters, emails and call your legislators and plant seeds of truth in the minds of everyone you meet.
DARE deprogramming is hard, and those programmed by DARE might not even have the ability to know what the hell the truth is anymore, but I'd rather fight.
-------------------- Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous Get help, help is free and available 24/7/365. God bless you all and I hope you receive the help you need to turn away from your lives of sin. Mushrooms and drugs make you gay, you can reverse this homosexual condition with rehab, get help! Stop being gay!
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Invisible_Woe
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 11,708
Loc: Mabase
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Chemy]
#8441652 - 05/24/08 08:15 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Chemy said:
Quote:
LSDaytripper said: Canada, here I come!
Ignore your flight response, be an American and use your fight response to write letters, emails and call your legislators and plant seeds of truth in the minds of everyone you meet.
DARE deprogramming is hard, and those programmed by DARE might not even have the ability to know what the hell the truth is anymore, but I'd rather fight.
riiiight because it will so totally make a difference. even if the people w right to have an open mind as soon as the people for america come around to vote it none of them will agree on it. the government has done too good of a job on making drugs look like the anti-christ. I agree with Hofmann, I don't have much hope for the near future people are too happy with having everyone else make there "tough" decisions
on the other hand it doesn't hurt to try. thing like this are what we need. great post BTW
-------------------- These are not the answers you should be questioning.
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Irieforester
Head to toe inH2O
Registered: 03/10/08
Posts: 515
Loc: That state seperating fro...
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Invisible_Woe]
#8441937 - 05/24/08 09:34 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
DARE deprogramming is hard, and those programmed by DARE might not even have the ability to know what the hell the truth is anymore, but I'd rather fight.
In my personal experience, the DARE program was a colossal failure, I've even talked to people who've told me that DARE actually motivated them to try drugs. This was a very well written story by the way.
-------------------- I am still and forever learning Apollyphelion said: You can learn A LOT from shitting in the right set and setting!
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RonaldFuckingPaul
Our Dear Leader
Registered: 10/31/07
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Irieforester]
#8442110 - 05/24/08 10:36 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Irieforester said:
Quote:
DARE deprogramming is hard, and those programmed by DARE might not even have the ability to know what the hell the truth is anymore, but I'd rather fight.
In my personal experience, the DARE program was a colossal failure, I've even talked to people who've told me that DARE actually motivated them to try drugs. This was a very well written story by the way.
Lol I learned how to do whippets from that dumbass dare officer.
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Montanahunter420
Mushroom Hunter
Registered: 05/10/06
Posts: 1,188
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: RonaldFuckingPaul]
#8442473 - 05/25/08 01:02 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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But some idiots accept it. They have been told from birth to accept what law officers tell them. This is why cops teach the classes to be accepted by the poor innocent children. It's almost a form of brainwashing.
-------------------- All of my posts are purely fictional and for hypothetical purposes.
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Skeeblix
Dave Thomas
Registered: 01/28/07
Posts: 1,745
Loc: Wendy's
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Montanahunter420]
#8442628 - 05/25/08 02:14 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Almost? Taking the mind of a child, creatures who by nature can be easily persuaded, and hammering into it the idea that certain chemicals are bad just because they are fits the description of brainwashing to me. Kids are given so little info, other than "it's bad, don't do it".
Add to it the fact that from a child's perspective, with no real world experience or cares, a police officer is a figure to be trusted and respected, and you have the perfect method of mind-controlling the masses before they're old enough to think for themselves.
-------------------- This post approved by: Premedman1 said: I just shat my pants.
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LSDaytripper
Believer
Registered: 08/04/07
Posts: 649
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Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Chemy]
#8443201 - 05/25/08 10:23 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Chemy said:
Quote:
LSDaytripper said: Canada, here I come!
Ignore your flight response, be an American and use your fight response to write letters, emails and call your legislators and plant seeds of truth in the minds of everyone you meet.
DARE deprogramming is hard, and those programmed by DARE might not even have the ability to know what the hell the truth is anymore, but I'd rather fight.
Since when do emails, letters, or phone calls have any influence on legislators, or any government official? Do you think the thousands of emails and phone calls to senators will have any effect on getting the marijuana decriminiliztion bill passed? So far, most of the congressmen have stated that they will still oppose the bill, despite all the calls and emails they've gotten from geniuinely concerned, pissed off Americans.
Most people in America have become so god damn close minded that there's no point in even arguing against them anymore. Even besides drugs, there are so many warped views and corruption in our government that it would take a miracle to fix them all. Fight the law all you want, you won't win in the end. At least not in America.
-------------------- ***** (10:42:46 PM): This is so strange ***** (10:42:53 PM): Becuase I feel that I am very altered ***** (10:42:57 PM): But at the same exact time ***** (10:43:28 PM): I am closer to the real me, the real me who decides who I am, the entire me
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Peacebone
Which one's Pink?
Registered: 01/15/08
Posts: 26
Loc: WI
Last seen: 15 years, 4 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: LSDaytripper]
#8443244 - 05/25/08 10:52 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Man, you can't give up hope. If we don't fight, nobody will. Do not let the current state of affairs (shite shite shite) get in the way of imagining what's possible. Besides, as far as laws go, America has a good deal of international influence; even Canada is starting to follow our lead with marijuana laws and what not. It's despicable, and that's exactly why we've gotta fight tooth and nail to de-brainwash people.
One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation. -- THOMAS B. REED (1886)
-------------------- Hey where all da white women at?
Edited by Peacebone (05/25/08 10:55 AM)
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Ophanim
The Molecule'sSpirit
Registered: 10/01/07
Posts: 1,002
Last seen: 5 years, 11 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Peacebone]
#8443272 - 05/25/08 11:12 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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I'd rather just follow my flight response and go to a land that isn't full of ignorance.
America's stupidity doesn't stop at the drugs. What about that 7 year old that had to register (permanently) as a sex offender for smacking a girl his own age on the ass in school? We're trapped in this fucked up morality box where everyone would rather lock up everyone they're afraid of than face reality. Fuck being another pathetic little voice in the ink-black void. I'm all for going somewhere more accepting and letting America die in its own fire.
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2FiNiTe
ConsideratlyKilling Me
Registered: 06/12/06
Posts: 1,635
Loc: New England
Last seen: 7 years, 6 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: Ophanim]
#8443300 - 05/25/08 11:29 AM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Ophanim said: I'd rather just follow my flight response and go to a land that isn't full of ignorance.
America is doomed, the government will use our fears to continue to take away freedoms. Us American's in my opinion have past the point of safe return. Were doomed in my eyes, I'd have to agree with Ophanim. Canada sounds damn good anyway.
-------------------- "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living." General Omar N. Bradley
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Chemy
Jesus is Lord
Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 6,276
Loc: A Church
Last seen: 14 years, 3 months
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Re: $70 Billion a Year for Marijuana Laws While Predators Remain Free [Re: 2FiNiTe]
#8443635 - 05/25/08 01:25 PM (15 years, 9 months ago) |
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Isn't Canada, America Jr?
Think about it, the Government of Canada is selling it's own people out as a manifestation of submission to the American Government.
I'm sort of running just like you guys, I'm leaving America for California, PROP 215!!!, it's too bad American coalition forces are still occupying California.
-------------------- Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous Get help, help is free and available 24/7/365. God bless you all and I hope you receive the help you need to turn away from your lives of sin. Mushrooms and drugs make you gay, you can reverse this homosexual condition with rehab, get help! Stop being gay!
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