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Simplepowa
In Pursuit of Knowledge


Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 4,310
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President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases 1
#19298134 - 12/19/13 01:56 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Drug Policy Alliance: President Praised; Many Others Deserve Similar Relief
Congress Should Reform Mandatory Minimum Laws
Today President Obama is expected to commute the sentences of eight federal inmates convicted of non-violent drug offenses involving crack cocaine. Mr. Obama, said the eight men and women had been sentenced under an “unfair system,” including the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses that was reduced to 18:1 by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.
This year, Attorney General Eric Holder has made a number of forceful public statements against mass incarceration in the U.S., promising significant rollback of mandatory minimums and harsh sentencing guidelines. Yet, despite his administration’s declared support for substantive criminal justice reform, until now Obama has used his power to grant clemency less frequently than nearly all other U.S. Presidents.
Mr. Obama has been under significant public pressure from advocacy groups and family members of non-violent drug offenders serving mandatory minimum sentences.
“It’s wonderful news that Obama has granted clemency to these individuals. We hope this is the just the beginning of the President using his executive powers to right the wrongs of the criminal justice system,” said Anthony Papa, Media Relations Manager for the Drug Policy Alliance, who was granted clemency in New York State in 1997 after serving 12 years under the notorious Rockefeller Drug Laws. “I hope governors with the same power at the state level follow his lead and reunite more families.”
In a statement, Mr. Obama said “If they had been sentenced under the current law, many of them would have already served their time and paid their debt to society. Instead, because of a disparity in the law that is now recognized as unjust, they remain in prison, separated from their families and their communities, at a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars each year.”
Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance said, “Kudos to President Obama for commuting these eight people. But shame on the President for not commuting many more. With over 100,000 people still behind bars on non-violent drug charges, clearly thousands more are deserving of the same freedom. Congress should act immediately to reduce the draconian federal mandatory minimum sentences that condemn thousands to decades behind bars for non-violent drug offenses.”
Contact: Tony Newman 646-335-5384 or Anthony Papa 646-420-7290
Press Release | 12/19/2013
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2013/12/president-obama-commute-sentences-8-crack-cocaine-cases
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Carl Sagan - "Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." --- Robert Pirsig - "When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion." --- Brian Cox - "[One] problem with today’s world is that everyone believes they have the right to express their opinion AND have others listen to it. The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense."
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whitelights
Stranger



Registered: 11/25/11
Posts: 1,559
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Simplepowa]
#19298272 - 12/19/13 02:32 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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fucking retarded. nuff said.
-------------------- its that bitter-sweet-sour, electric-smooth-twang. everything you ever have, are. or will feel along with every emotion, joy, hate, love, fear or aspiration burning down your nerves and into the fabric of your place in this existence at ten thousand degrees above and below zero will you find yourself wondering if you've been dead or alive this whole time. being born over and over only to die over and over hoping the wheel stops in the same place it started when you spun it, and when it finally does and you can step back and take a nice deep breath you realize how beautiful life is, remember, wake up to the most beautiful day of your life every single day, its just the way.
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my3rdeye



Registered: 08/10/12
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: whitelights]
#19298319 - 12/19/13 02:46 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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including the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses that was reduced to 18:1 by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. ------
So a gram of rock is equal to 18 grams of powder? That's still retarded. And racist.
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Seriously_trippin
Cosmic Guru Ganesh



Registered: 07/12/13
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Simplepowa] 1
#19298365 - 12/19/13 02:58 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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This sounds like the president pardoning a turkey each year to make eating tons of it palatable to the masses. If they were punish unjustly then help change the law for everyone, not just 8 people
-------------------- R.I.P Zombi3, Blue Helix Modest Mouse Zappa Slothie That Kid With The face ShLong Le Canard split_by_nine & Big Worm Forever Etched in the sands of time in the shroomery and ever so beloved and deeply missed by many
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Juicin
Stranger

Registered: 10/27/13
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Seriously_trippin]
#19298373 - 12/19/13 02:59 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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The pardoning of the turkey came about by chance..........There was never any intention to "make eating turkies palatable"
Americans were eating plenty of turkies before President's started pardoning them
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Seriously_trippin
Cosmic Guru Ganesh



Registered: 07/12/13
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Juicin]
#19298394 - 12/19/13 03:03 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Still what I mean is pardoning 8 ex crack addicts isn't going to help any other non violent drug offenders.
-------------------- R.I.P Zombi3, Blue Helix Modest Mouse Zappa Slothie That Kid With The face ShLong Le Canard split_by_nine & Big Worm Forever Etched in the sands of time in the shroomery and ever so beloved and deeply missed by many
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Juicin
Stranger

Registered: 10/27/13
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Seriously_trippin]
#19298418 - 12/19/13 03:07 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Then why did you compare the two........
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Ellis Dee
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Simplepowa] 1
#19298435 - 12/19/13 03:12 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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He should commute the sentences of several million people or pardon them. If I were the governor of any state I'd use my power to pardon all drug offendors in the statem period. The executive can do that. And as president he could do that nationwide too.
-------------------- "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do."-King Solomon And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
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Enlil
OTD God-King




Registered: 08/16/03
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Loc: Uncanny Valley
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Ellis Dee]
#19298518 - 12/19/13 03:30 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Ellis Dee said: He should commute the sentences of several million people or pardon them.
There aren't even a million inmates in federal prison.
-------------------- Censoring opposing views since 2014. Ask an Attorney Fuck the Amish
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DebuteMachine

Registered: 09/29/06
Posts: 6,457
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: my3rdeye]
#19298788 - 12/19/13 04:39 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
my3rdeye said:
So a gram of rock is equal to 18 grams of powder? That's still retarded. And racist.
is that actually how that works out? for some reason i thought something completely different.
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Enlil
OTD God-King




Registered: 08/16/03
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: DebuteMachine]
#19298840 - 12/19/13 04:49 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Yes, that's how it works.
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DebuteMachine

Registered: 09/29/06
Posts: 6,457
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Enlil]
#19299573 - 12/19/13 07:27 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Obama is one hell of a guy
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sh4d0ws
LSx


Registered: 02/26/08
Posts: 12,086
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: DebuteMachine] 1
#19300661 - 12/19/13 11:57 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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What about the non-violent drug traffickers/produers who are still serving outrageous unnecessary sentences. Like LSD producers/dealers for instance
Some of these people were probably violent crack dealers. Most probably were.
Fuck you obama you puppet
Edited by sh4d0ws (12/19/13 11:58 PM)
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Learyfan
It's the psychedelic movement!



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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: sh4d0ws]
#19302083 - 12/20/13 09:46 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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It's nothing close to what needs to be done, but it is a step in the right direction. The fact that a POTUS sees this issue as being important is a good, if small, first step.
-------------------- -------------------------------- Mp3 of the month: The Apple-Glass Cyndrome - Someday
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DebuteMachine

Registered: 09/29/06
Posts: 6,457
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Learyfan]
#19302507 - 12/20/13 11:44 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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fucking hipster acid sheet, it probably is an rc anyways!
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MacMerdin
Hunter



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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Simplepowa]
#19302962 - 12/20/13 01:38 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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The sad part about marijuana and other drug reformation is it is being heralded as "racist". When actually it was insane to begin with.
But since we have a black president and black DOJ head, all of a sudden our drug laws are racist? PLEASE.........
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MacMerdin
Hunter



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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Seriously_trippin]
#19302968 - 12/20/13 01:40 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Seriously_trippin said: This sounds like the president pardoning a turkey each year to make eating tons of it palatable to the masses. If they were punish unjustly then help change the law for everyone, not just 8 people
But wait....not all of them are black.....
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dokunai
Cactus, Cannabis, Cubensis

Registered: 01/31/10
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Juicin] 1
#19303034 - 12/20/13 01:53 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Juicin said: Then why did you compare the two........
It shows the scale, or lack there of, Obama's action. Let's imagine Obama was the leader of a village with a million people. Continuing the fairy tale let's imagine there was a tremendous boulder purched on the hillside above said villlage that could at any moment break loose and kill everyone living beneath.
What does Obama do? He scales the cliff and uses a hamnmer and chisel to chip off eight tiny pieces of the doom-rock, out of the hundreds of thousands remaining. He declares justice served, because whitey put the rock there in the first place and a few people might actually live when it comes tumbling down the hill.
This is not an anti-Obama rant. This goes out to all of the politicians, private prison owners, drug enforcement agents makings 6-figure salaries, asset-forfeiture quarterbacks, and political lobbyists who make an astounding amount of money by blatant misuse of out-dated laws that essentially turn them into irreproachable gangs of bandits who can do whatever they want and take from whomever they want anything their blackened hearts desire.
Congratulations Obama. In 2011 we had nearly 100,000 people in jail just for drug related offenses. Of the people who were on probation in drug related charges, nearly 1,000,000 (yes, million witha a capital "M"), more than 450,000 were re-incarcerated for marijuana use.
So keep on, Mr. Obama. It was clearly OK for you to smoke pot. After all, you're part of the elite. Hell, if you were to keep up your feverish pace of pardoning 8 drug users a year, it would only take 125,000 years to let them all out. Good works and Godspeed to you, Mr. President
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Enlil
OTD God-King




Registered: 08/16/03
Posts: 65,505
Loc: Uncanny Valley
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: dokunai]
#19303058 - 12/20/13 01:57 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
dokunai said: Hell, if you were to keep up your feverish pace of pardoning 8 drug users a year, it would only take 125,000 years to let them all out. Good works and Godspeed to you, Mr. President
Math fail, bro...it would take about 13,000 years.
-------------------- Censoring opposing views since 2014. Ask an Attorney Fuck the Amish
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DebuteMachine

Registered: 09/29/06
Posts: 6,457
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: Enlil] 1
#19303088 - 12/20/13 02:05 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Enlil said:
Quote:
dokunai said: Hell, if you were to keep up your feverish pace of pardoning 8 drug users a year, it would only take 125,000 years to let them all out. Good works and Godspeed to you, Mr. President
Math fail, bro...it would take about 13,000 years.
Double speak. 13,000 is still bad.
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Enlil
OTD God-King




Registered: 08/16/03
Posts: 65,505
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: DebuteMachine]
#19303098 - 12/20/13 02:07 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Well, yeah...but Obama isn't there to undo lawful convictions just because some people don't agree with the law. If you want the law changed, write to your Congressman and Senators. Obama didn't create the laws.
-------------------- Censoring opposing views since 2014. Ask an Attorney Fuck the Amish
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setb
10th level beer nerd
Registered: 01/30/11
Posts: 2,580
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: dokunai] 3
#19303990 - 12/20/13 05:21 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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What they don't mention here: one of these people "just so happens to be" the first cousin of his good buddy Deval Patrick. I wonder who the other seven are?
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Humility
Working on it



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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: setb]
#19306435 - 12/21/13 04:50 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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More corruption. People who support corruption when it's blatently obvious that the entire thing is corrupt will have no ones but themselves to blame when it comes time to judge oneself.
So much suffering caused by negligence, by throwing one's entire life's effort into a system of repression, hate, violence, suffering and pain.
Sad shit.
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FBI
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: MacMerdin] 1
#19311711 - 12/22/13 12:31 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
MacMerdin said: The sad part about marijuana and other drug reformation is it is being heralded as "racist". When actually it was insane to begin with.
But since we have a black president and black DOJ head, all of a sudden our drug laws are racist? PLEASE.........
The difference in sentencing between crack and cocaine, when considering the demographic of users of each substance is rascist. It also inevitably sends more poor people to jail than rich.
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durian_2008
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Re: President Obama to Commute Sentences for 8 in Crack Cocaine Cases [Re: FBI]
#19313007 - 12/22/13 06:19 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
debt to society.
Did these people's choices cost me anything, personally, so they owe me?
And, how does caging them pay me back?
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