Indians, a drug epidemic and Rep Richardson on the war on drugs
So.. the bad news for Cape Wind is that the States preservation officer, Brona Simon, has ruled that Nantucket sound is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. This move, out of no where, will not prevent Cape Wind from building out there as of yet, but will further delay this green energy project for a year or longer. I certainly respect the rights of all Indians, especially sacred grounds, but after all these years of of obstructionists maneuvers, one might think this latest ploy is a last ditch effort to stop Cape Wind.
From the Globe, we find that the commission on OxyContin and Heroin has declared an epidemic. Their summation was that we are losing more men and women in Mass in drug related deaths than we are losing in the Iraq/Afghanistan War. The panel of hypocrites have made 20 recommendations: Strengthen the existing prescription monitoring program. (Who are the kidding here, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, pharmacies and insurance companies are making billions of of this one drug. Limit criminal sanctions against abusers who seek medical help through a "good Samaritan law" that does not punish anyone who helps someone get medical treatment. Increase support of three "recovery high schools", in Boston, Springfield and Beverly. Invest in substance abuse programs that keep people out of jail. What the commission failed to address is responsibility of parents and doctors. The kids get their drugs from home and most doctors have no problem with giving large quantities of pain killers to anyone who has a sniffle.
And who would have guessed, Representative Richardson is hosting a forum on the failure of the drug war, sponsored by New England Association of Drug Court Professionals at the Costin Room at the Framingham Public Library, on Nov 16th, 7 to 9PM. With speakers Sheriff James V. DiPaola Middlesex County Sheriff, Attorney David White Chair, MA Bar Association's Drug PolicyTask Force, Judge Robert Ziemian
founder of Massachusett's first drug court, Moderated by: Roberta Leis
Join Together, A project of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. I have to wonder why this forum is coming to Framingham and what point is being made. Anyone with a brain who has lived in this country for the last 20 years, knows very well, the drug war has never done anything more to reduce drug use or crime and has filled our prisons with tax evaders and has costs tax payers billions. This is a must see meeting for anyone who cares about the future of drug policy.
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 10:58 AM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
Richardson is actually behind this meeting about the failure of the war on drugs? You can be sure her agenda is going to be to toughen the laws, not to abolish a war we can not win!
I see the quiet move towards a more realistic drug policy in this country starting to take shape. It is certainly a move that is long overdue. This country spends millions fighting a war that we are fighting on the wrong front. If the drugs were legal, with obviously some regulation, then there would be no need for the drug cartels and that would eliminate huge amounts of crime. Plus we could make money off the sale of all these things that are now illegal and not taxed. Don’t we at least owe it to ourselves to try a different approach than we have used in the past? We can always change again if it is not working.
Why did the Indians wait until this late in the game to raise their concerns? This has been on the drawing board for a very, very long time, years, and suddenly they decide, hey, you can not put things there, that is sacred ground for us. Were they not paying attention of were they just willing to sit back and let someone else fight the battle for them so they did not have to get involved. I would have a lot more respect for them if they had raised this issue in the beginning then I do for them raising it at this late point in the game.
Interested in what your read is on the changes in drug policy we see being discussed so the new President took office Pillsbury. Seems that he sees this as not as important as his predecessors have. Allowing medical pot, admiting the drug war is a failure, more and more signs that he believes this is money better spent elsewhere. Do you think we will see a complete revamp of the drug poliy in this country in the next few years?
I hesitate to support an end to the so called war on drugs, but I simply can not support an effort that has failed so miserably. We need to rethink our goals and our methods on this issue. Let’s hope we find something better.
Although I agree with much of what you said here, I disagree that kids get all their drugs from their parents. If that were actually true, there would be no need for drug dealers. You are right that kids often learn to self-medicate at home, but that is not where the bulk of the problem is coming from.
A meeting that no one will show up at I bet. No one wants to be seen at a meeting about the drug war because it might imply they have a personal interest in the issue, and who wants to admit that? So they will all stay home and wait to read about what happens here on this blog.
And that's fine Derek...., as it was with the decriminalization of cannabis debate. No one wanted to give a thumbs up in public.. but in the voting booth, the reasonably intelligent voter showed us how they really felt about it.
The same with supporting the end of the drug war..no one will stand out and say stop.... but when it comes to voting time, that very same voter will know it's the right thing to do and vote for those who support a common sense agenda in dealing with illegal and legal drugs.
I wonder if Representative Richardson will object to having this event captured on tape?
I think you've begun to see the efforts of the Obama administration, from Holder not going after the clinics and cannabis retailers, to places like in Colorado where a Town voted overwhelmingly to end cannabis penalties, including paraphernalia and all fines for possession.
And even here in Mass, who would have ever thought that a hearing on taxation and regulation of cannabis would have ever happened.
I see positive signs.
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