Gentle, compassionate people make up 99% of the world's population. Drug abuse is a disease. Compassionate treatment is the answer. "We just have to keep our guard up for the 1 percent that your mother always warned you about," as Capt. Andrew Lewis, Bay City's lead investigator cautions.
How can drug warriors look themselves in the mirror when across the US last year 40% of the murders, almost 60% of the rapes and about half of the aggravated assaults went unsolved? The horrendous cumulative effect of this is becoming obvious. While we police individual recreational and medicinal use of drugs; murderers and violent sexual predators roam free.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition speaker Bradley Jardis questioned presidential candidate John McCain on drug policy during a recent town hall meeting in Rindge, New Hampshire. Their exchange was captured on video and is currently featured on YouTube. It is also the subject of an article on The Huffington Post website, "NH Cop Surprises McCain, Speaks Out Against Drug War."
Reuters reports, "U.S. prison system a cosly and harmful failure. The number of people in U.S. prisons has risen eight-fold since 1970, with little impact on crime but at great cost to taxpayers and society, researchers said in a report calling for a major justice-system overhaul. It recommends shorter sentences and parole terms, alternative punishments, more help for released inmates and decriminalizing recreational drugs. The report was produced by the JFA Institute, a Washington criminal-justice research group, and its authors included eight criminologists from major U.S. public universities.
Save the American Dream of self-government; free of tyranny and oppression! Construct science based drug policies about saving and rehabilitating instead of ruining lives. Get tough on violent crime! Restore justice! Warriors can earn their pay and get their adrenaline rush catching perpetrators of violence.
There is still time to sign up for The International Drug Policy Reform Conference, the world's principal gathering of people who believe the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. No better opportunity exists to learn about drug policy and to plan and mobilize for reform. This year's conference will be held December 5-8 at the Astor Crowne Plaza in the legendary French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hope to see you there!
Although I agree with some of what you said, this one opening statement ruined the entire blog for me. Are you really so naive?
I am sure this is a fact of life, normally and the police stats back me up.
Alcohol makes domestic violence 8xs more likely, cannabis does not, according to a 2003 study.
Beware, psychiatrists earn more money from drug makers than doctors in any other specialty and there is a link between psychotropic drugs and violence. Here's an AMAZING VIDEO EVERY PARENT SHOULD WATCH: Drugging Our Children
http://video.google.com:80/videoplay?docid=-3609599239524875493
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
I have to agree with engkatiemarie. 99% of the people are not kind, compassionate people. I'm not kind and compassionate. I want to be and I try to be but I am not naturally like that. Who really is?
Me thinks you judge yourself and others too harshly. Most people are nonviolent. Can we come closer to agreement if I say that instead of calling them gentle and compassionate?
Warriors can earn their pay and get their adrenalin rush catching murderers, sexual predators and other perpetrators of violence. Many of whom we know are out there, somewhere. Then our peacekeepers will truly be making our neighborhoods safer.
Legalizing and regulating drug distribution would immediately cut off the major source of funding for terrorists worldwide and increase our tax base. Restore justice in America; construct science based drug policies about saving and rehabilitating instead of ruining lives.
Peace, Colleen McCool
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Perhaps.
I am glad you recognize the difference between "nonviolence" and "compassion and gentleness". Totally different.
It is my opinion that most if not all people are innately violent but societal restraints prevent them from displaying this trait.
I completely agree with your blog. I am actually on probation for possession of marijuana and get off next month. I went to jail, had community service, fees a mile high, and etc. I have never hurt anyone physically and do not consider myself a bad person. Whereas I know people with assault charges that never even went to jail and just got a ticket. *sighs*
Bless your heart. It is insane policy or reefer madness to punish people for making a safer health choice in a recreational drug!
Over a thousand people die each day due to tobacco use! Close to 300 a day die from prescribed pharmaceuticals. The tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals gangs deal drugs that kill many more annually than all illicit drugs. We tolerate their salesmen!
Thanks for reading and writing!
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Don't you dare come here and encourage young people to do drugs.
That's a great way to get them in jail, as this young woman has discovered. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong (it's wrong; you are messing with your brain to escape from reality, why do this? because you are afraid. How silly). The bottom line is: do drugs, go to jail. Don't make the wrong choice.
I taught my children that their bodies are the temples of their souls. However, when my children became young adults I told them the truth about drugs. Including that marijuana or cannabis is a safer health choice in a recreational drug but the collateral damage from arrest can be devastating and life long."
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm
"Save the children from Prohibition," was a slogan used to end alcohol prohibition. Punishing children or adults for making a safer health choice today is absolute madness. Again, we need to save the children, this time from drug prohibition's collateral damage. The drug war tries to destroy families and does destroy the family value of practicing health safety.
Abstinence from recreational drugs is safest for all, especially youth but few will choose it. Parents do need to set an example for their children. However, most parents who use drugs and alcohol do not abuse them. They are responsible drug users, especially marijuana users as it is the safest choice.
Effective drug education based on medical science builds student's confidence to make informed responsible choices. Present policy falsehoods and scare tactics undermine our credibility. We want to encourage drug free behavior not awaken their curiosity. Truth, trust and reason encourage open communications between youth, parents and faculties.
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Safe or not; it's illegal. Encouraging people to participate in an activity that will lead them (eventually) to getting caught and ending up in jail (or worse) is simply wrong.
I am not encouraging drug use I am working to change an insane policy. I am promoting moral and fiscal responsibility against policy that is a scandalous waste of our precious lives and resources.
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
There is no such thing as a "responsible recreational drug user." And that includes alcohol.
Drug abuse is a disease indeed, you can't heal a disease unless you insist on it and treat it. It seems to me that this disease is getting worse every year despite all the efforts. I am starting to believe that we'll never "heal"...
Healing our response to the problem will help. Abusers treated compassionately as patients not criminals would be much more effective at saving lives. We need to focus on harm reduction. Overdose deaths were virtually unknown before prohibition.
Now the bodies pile up like cordwood or holocaust victims (more than 33,000 precious lives lost in 2005*) but does anyone care if overdose deaths skyrocket!? In another uncelebrated scandal, we have not been reducing the harm with opioid antagonist, Naloxone, which has been around forever. It could be made available over the counter without a prescription or opioids could be prescribed only with an accompanying naloxone prescription. New Mexico is the only state so far to show a little compassion. The NM 911 Good Samaritan law** helps to eliminate the fear of arrest when calling 911 for help during an overdose.
* http://stopthedrugwar.org:80/chronicle/528/overdose_deaths_increasing
** http://www.drugpolicy.org/about/stateoffices/newmexico/911/
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Looking to perform an intervention on a loved one who is abusing drugs or alcohol? This site can definitely help.
Appreciate the information. Here is another source for help:
http://www.meditoxofpalmbeach.com/
I don't reccomend interventions. The abuser must desire to be drug free themselves and want help or you are spinning your wheels..
Thanks for reading and writing.
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Indeed, you are more than right, and not to mention the alcohol abuse! They should all get an alcohol treatment or a drug one. I don't want to know what this world is becoming into..
Abstinence from recreational drugs is safest for all, especially youth but few will choose it. Parents do need to set an example for their children. However, most parents who use drugs and alcohol do not abuse them. They are responsible drug users, especially marijuana users as it is the safest choice. http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm
Thanks for reading and writing. Happy, Safe July 4th weekend!
Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist.
http://mccoolportraits.com/2007rebelwithjustcause.htm
Member - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc/
& Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Wow!! This blog and the topic contained in this blog is awesome. I stayed more than 2 hours and got various information about how to overcome drug abuse, restrain the violent and rule!. Thanks for sharing this kind of topic.