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Content about Law enforcement in the United States

03.10.10
The New Jim Crow: How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste

I work this issue every day and am well aware of the racist nature of the War on (Certain American Citizens Using Non-Pharmaceutical, Non-Alcoholic, Tobacco-Free) Drugs. But even I wasn’t aware of the outrageous statistics comparing the Drug War to Jim Crow era. Michelle Alexander lays it all out in her new book, The New Jim Crow: How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste:

03.10.10
USA: How Can We Stop Drug Gangs From Growing Pot in the Woods? Legalize Pot
How Can We Stop Drug Gangs From Growing Pot in the Woods? Legalize Pot Alter Net | 3/9/2010 | Scott Morgan

The media complain about the explosion of illegal outdoor cultivation in our national parks, but have zero diagnosis about why it's happening.

03.09.10
Judge Jim Gray

From Reason TV — a must-watch.

03.09.10
USA: How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste
How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste Alarab Online | 3/9/2010 | Michelle Alexander

The New Jim Crow

03.08.10
A trip through the Marijuana way-back machine

Popular Science has made its archives searchable, and this has led to finding gems such as this article, from May of 1968

This was 42 years ago, an era when the science of marijuana was incomplete, yet they oddly seemed to know more than “we” do today. It was a time before science had been turned to proving an agenda, back when it was about learning the truth about stuff.

Let’s take a look at some of Popular Science’s conclusions about marijuana…

03.07.10
More OpEd Entertainment

[Move breakables away from the computer now.]

Cliff Kincaid. That’s all most people need to hear to know that they’re about to get a real load of crap. And boy, oh boy, does this man know how to give you top shelf crap.

I’m not even going to take it apart. It’s beyond….

Was the Pentagon Shooter an Obama-approved Pothead? by Cliff Kincaid at Right Side News.

03.06.10
TX: Drug Budget: Time To Throw Tomatoes?
TX: Drug Budget: Time To Throw Tomatoes? The Austin Chronicle | 3/5/2010 | Jordan Smith

03.06.10
US: Tell Obama To Change Marijuana Laws
US: Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana Change.org | 3/1/2010 | Spencer Pearson and Larry Talley
03.05.10
Leave the Man Alone

In Defense of Willie Nelson

Willie and Family now have an unlikely new champion: State Sen. Charlie Albertson, who just cut a song defending the outlaw singer. [...]

03.05.10
SWAT roundup

In case you don’t read Radley Balko on a regular basis… which you should.

The Baltimore Sun reported on the use of SWAT in Maryland.

Heavily armed tactical police in Prince George’s County raid more homes than any other law enforcement agency in the state, according to newly released data from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention.

03.04.10
BC: Victoria Police Muzzle Cop's Free Speech on Drugs
Victoria Police Muzzle Cop's Free Speech on Drugs Cannabis Culture | 3/4/2010 | Jeremiah Vandermeer

03.04.10
CO: Column: The War Next Door
The War Next Door High Country News | 3/1/2010| Charles Bowden

View images

03.04.10
The incredible entrenchment of the drug war

If any of you thought that it should be easy to change the formula of funding for the drug war, this piece will help demonstrate the sad reality.

03.02.10
Fearing the message

The Victoria BC Police Department, an organization that should be known for its bravery, exhibited a rather extreme act of cowardice recently.

David Bratzer, who volunteers with the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) while off-duty, has been ordered not to speak at an official City of Victoria-sponsored event on harm reduction scheduled for this Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 P.M.

03.02.10
Yet another reason why the drug war can’t work

Link

GUATEMALA CITY – Authorities arrested Guatemala’s anti-drug czar and national police chief Tuesday in a case involving stolen cocaine and slain police, acting just two days before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives to discuss the drug war.

Oops.

02.28.10
Obama Continues Bush-Era "Drug War" Hypocrisy
US: Obama Continues Bush-Era "Drug War" Hypocrisy Cannabis Culture | 2/26/2010 | Jesse Ventura, The Huffington Post

Despite President Obama's promises, the DEA is still going after medical marijuana providers.

02.28.10
Reuters Column: In Drug War, Failed Old Ideas Never Die
COLUMN-In Drug War, Failed Old Ideas Never Die: Bernd Debusmann Reuters / Feb 26, 2010 / Bernd Debusmann
02.28.10
RI: Senate panel may urge decriminalizing marijuana possession
Senate panel may urge decriminalizing marijuana possession Journal State House Bureau | 2/28/2010 | Katherine Gregg

PROVIDENCE — When it wraps up its 3 1/2-month inquiry later this week, a Senate panel is expected to recommend decriminalizing possession of relatively small amounts of marijuana.

02.27.10
Oliver heads South

Oliver North has a piece at Townhall: The Other War

WASHINGTON — It’s a war the so-called mainstream media apparently have decided to ignore. Though its death toll is higher than Iraq’s and Afghanistan’s combined, it evidently isn’t worth covering; and unless you’re reading this in the Southwest, you probably haven’t even heard about it.

02.23.10
OH: Police: Indian Hill Drug Operation Busted
OH: Police: Indian Hill Drug Operation Busted Cincinatti Enquirer / February 21, 2010 / Jennifer Baker
02.22.10
Drugs… Terrorism… WAR

A recent exchange in comments got me thinking about the drugs and terrorism connection again. You know, the one you keep hearing about from public officials.

Of course, drugs and terrorism really have nothing in common.

Drugs are designed to be part of a peaceful exchange between willing participants for private use. Terrorism is designed to be a violent action imposed on innocent victims for political gain.

On the other hand, the drug war and the war on terrorism have a lot in common.

02.20.10
CO: Consciously speaking: Questions continue to hover over medical marijuana business
Consciously speaking: Questions continue to hover over medical marijuana businesses Windsor Beacon | 2/20/2010 | Sandi Squicquero

Is it high time for medical marijuana in Windsor?

02.19.10
Marijuana Addiction – a response

When I whole-heartedly agreed to publishing Danny Chapin’s guest post on marijuana addiction (Marijuana Addiction – guest post and a discussion), I was looking forward to a strong and intelligent response in the comments section from my readers, and I wasn’t disappointed in the least.

If you haven’t had a chance, please go and read the comments (60 to date), and you’ll see what I mean (with a few exceptions).

02.19.10
Stupid OpEd of the Week

And the winner is…

Roger Morgan, Chairman and executive director of Coalition for a Drug-Free California, with Drug czar’s office keeps drug use down

Before one throws the “drug czar” out with the bath water (“The drug czar should go,” Commentary, Feb. 8 ) he should look closely at the critics.

02.16.10
Marijuana Addiction – guest post and a discussion

Addiction. It’s a loaded word. Lots of baggage, lots of uncertainty in its meaning. It gets tossed around a lot in reference to marijuana, from those who claim that marijuana is provably addictive, to those who say there is no such thing as addiction.

Regardless of those views, I think most people would agree that there are some marijuana users whose use appears to most people to be excessive. And whether that’s reality or perception, it’s still a very real hurdle.