"Freedom is popular," US Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) crows. His book, "The Revolution, A Manifesto" is currently a best selling political work. As we come to realize that we have no real political choices offered to us anymore - the new boss is the same as the old boss - we feel a reawakening of our passion for economic and personal freedom. We see clearly the need to return to the revolutionary ideas of our Founding Fathers.
Once Americans stood proudly for freedom from oppression. America now has the dubious honor of being number one in the world for having the most people in prison. The Land of the Used-to-be-Free has become the most incarcerated nation in history!
The Pew Center on the States recently released a report showing that more than 1 in 100 American adults are presently in jail or prison. This astonishingly high rate is racially skewed. One in nine black men (20 to 34 years old) and one out of every thirty-six adult Hispanic men are serving time. Human Rights Watch is also shining a critical spotlight on this evident racism.
Our heroes, who have given their lives for this country, died for freedom and for making this world a better place will have died in vain; if the American dream of self-government free of tyranny and big government oppression dies.
The real cause of this huge quagmire of failed policy is the beast, big government, that money hungry beast, Uncle Sam! Ma Freedom tells it like it is! The beauty of it is when we focus on downsizing our government we regain our roots of self-government and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and future generations.
"The Sentencing Project's new study, Disparity by Geography: The War on Drugs in America's Cities exposes the use of our prohibition laws by racist to further their cause. It is,"the first city-level analysis of drug arrests, examining data from 43 of the nation's largest cities between 1980-2003".
"The study found that since 1980, the rate of drug arrests in American cities for African Americans increased by 225%, compared to 70% among whites. Black arrest rates grew by more than 500% in 11 cities during this period and in nearly half of the cities, the odds of arrest for a drug offense among African Americans relative to whites more than doubled."
Overzealous drug warriors excel at manipulating and endangering we the people! Harvey Silverglate, a Boston defense lawyer, says the rewards for informers encourages them "not only to sing, but to compose." The American Civil Liberties Union warns: Unreliable informant testimony is one of the largest sources of wrongful convictions in this country.
"The heavy penalties facing drug offenders create pressure to cooperate with law enforcement," stated Kris Krane, executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. The group advocates that drug use be treated as a public-health issue rather than a law-enforcement issue, and has chapters on 120 campuses nationwide.
"The overwhelming majority of informants are people busted for drugs," Krane said. "Police can do an effective job of scaring people especially young people into complicity. People are getting caught in the middle of the war on drugs every day." That's especially true for college students, Krane said, because they risk losing their financial aid if they have a drug conviction. He suggests, young people often don't know their rights and should seek counsel if arrested.
Within 24 hours of the Drug Enforcement Administration sweep of San Diego State University, arresting 75 students accused of selling drugs on campus, SSDP had organized a demonstration and re-framed the issue for nearly all the local and national media outlets covering the story, pointing out the futility of drug prohibition, while calling for the school to enact a lifesaving Good Samaritan Policy.
Overdose prevention like New Mexico's 911 Good Samaritan law will save lives. It helps protect people who are witnessing an overdose from drug possession charges if they call emergency services. Drug Policy Alliance will be working in several other states to pass similar lifesaving legislation.
Cannabis or marijuana is a safer choice in a recreational or medicinal drug. It is policy bordering on insanity or reefer madness to punish people for making a safer health choice. Cannabis medicines, until they were declared illegal, had been used in about 30 prescription medicines for a 100 specific medical problems.
American's for Safe Access (ASA) fights to hold the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) accountable for its continued efforts to undermine state medical marijuana laws. ASA is pleased to announce that US House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) has sent a letter to DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart challenging the DEA's actions!
The War on Drugs is the longest and most costly war in our history, wasting way too many precious lives and way too many resources. Inspired by the death of four family members from "legal drugs," Texas filmmaker Kevin Booth attempts to sort out the intricacies of the national drug policy -- and the reasons for its unmitigated failure in his documentary "American Drug War: The Last White Hope".
The Greatest Story Never Told is smoking cannabis doesn't cause cancer instead data suggests a possible protective effect.
US Representative Barney Frank has filed a bipartisan federal bill to legalize "small amounts" of marijuana and make room for serious criminals. Dr. Ron Paul, is a cosponsor. This Texas straight talker says we are "politicizing pain." Ask your Congressperson to cosponsor, "The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act"- HR 5843.
If they are hard line drug warriors, ask them to at least support HR 5842 which would allow the medical use of marijuana in states that have chosen to make its use for medical purposes legal with a doctor's recommendation. The debate over medical marijuana or cannabis is really a scandalous controversy over whether this very easy-to-grow herb should be allowed to compete with pharmaceuticals for pennies on the dollar.
Harassing the sick and dying is an un-American activity.
Dr. Paul says, "Big Government Responsible for High Gas Prices!" And, "Big Government Responsible for Housing Bubble" Uncle Sam is an unnecessary evil; downsize big government! Shame on our system, it reeks!
The relationship between the bottom line and the betterment of society is the one our Founders sought to define in our Founding Documents. They knew ethics would have to rule for it to work.
Special interest money has a huge influence on our resident bully, Uncle Sam, and it has a tremendous effect on both foreign and domestic policy. Members of Congress, without ethics, effectively sell their votes to those who can give them money and keep them in office. The best, true solution to this is to return to constitutional or small government and a free market or not trying to control our economy.
Big business and big government have a scandalous mutually beneficial love affair going on! The Constitution doesn't authorize Congress to subsidize industries or grant special favors for particular businesses, Congress will have an impossible time justifying special-interest legislation. Tell Congress to pass the Enumerated Powers Act
Join the Easy Revolution. The web is the fastest growing communications medium in the history of the world. A powerful tool, a window of opportunity, in our war of good over evil; the Internet continues to revolutionize the way we communicate and has enormous potential for reshaping the political process.
Compiled and written by Colleen McCool
