Differing Perspectives of the War on Drugs

"You can't even call this shit a war...wars end"

~ The Wire, Season 1

The War on Drugs, close to 60 years after it's conception, is now widely seen to be a failure: The difference in opinion as to what caused this failure vary. As seen in my interview with Alan, Helen, and Matt below, the older generation seems to believe that drugs remain a menace in our society, but that education is a better way to combat drug abuse. Matt, on the other hand, feels that the "enforcement of archaic drug laws" is the actual problem in our society, as opposed to drugs themselves.

Check out my cross-generational interview below:

The Pew Research Institute reports that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, found that in 2012, approximately 24 million Americans (9.2% ) reported using an illicit drug in the past month,  an increase from 8.3% of Americans in  1992.

However, though public opinion (as illustrated in the video above) towards drug use and drug policies have become more progressive, the anti- laws still on the books suggest an unwillingness among politicians to change. As the info graphic below illustrates, the War on Drugs has been a costly one, in terms of finance and human lives.

As I note in an earlier blog post, clearly mainstream perceptions of the dangers of marijuana have changed when considering presidential quotes on their own drug use. President Regaen is well known for his  drug-policy quote from the 1980s, “I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast”. However, we see that in the early 90s, attitudes soften: President Bill Clinton admitted somewhat to experimentation with marijuana, stating, "When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn't like it, and I didn't inhale, and I never tried again." President Obama, close to 15 years after President Clinton replied to questions about marijuana use, saying, "When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” President Obama's ability to candidly speak about drug experimentation, as well as poke fun at President Clinton's half-hearted admission, illustrates that over the past 40 years public opinion has shifted to the point where it has slowly become socially acceptable for the president, to admit to having smoked marijuana.

Much of the blogosphere discourse on perceptions of the War on Drugs is dedicated to either conflicting views of the War on Drugs, or the mass incarceration implications of the War on Drugs. From my research, it seems that most people agree that the War on Drugs is/was a failure. Disagreement occurs on what is/was the cause of the failure, if the Drug War is still active, and how to better prevent people from using drugs. In terms of max incarceration, I do believe that Nixon's  Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Prevention and Control Act of 1970, in addition to 3 strikes laws, had an explosive effect on the US prison population. However, the issue of mass incarceration is not wholly due to the War on Drugs: the Prison Industrial Complex and the privatization of prisons are also mitigating factors. 

For more on these topics, check out:

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/4/2/drugs-pew-marijuana.html
http://www.people-press.org/2014/04/02/section-1-perceptions-of-drug-abuse-views-of-drug-policies/
http://racism.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=820:crime09-1&catid=142&Itemid=155
http://www.leap.cc/for-the-media/the-war-on-drugs-at-a-glance/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/drug-war-mass-incarceration_n_3034310.html
http://www.drugpolicy.org/resource/drug-war-mass-incarceration-and-race

The Best Crime Shows

In no particular order, here are my favorite crime shows on TV

via Wikimedia Commons

1. Criminal Minds, IMDb score 8.2/10

A dark and twisted psychological thriller, Criminal Minds takes a unique twist on the cliche detective drama with the BAU, a FBI profiling unit. The show delves deep into the mind of the killer, with less focus on evidence and more on behavioral traits. The majority of episodes focus on one killer in particular. This focus on a new killer every week as well as the main cast has resulted in stunted character development: also, after a number of years on-air the episodes are either reminiscent of earlier crimes, or so disturbing, you have to wonder what happened to the writer that dreamed them up.

What I Learned From Interning In Washington, DC

I never knew what it felt to be homesick for a place I'd never called home until I left DC. I found my way to DC through The Washington Center, who helped me secure an incredible internship with the Law Office of Matthew Rist, PLLC. After 4 exciting months, here's some of what I learned:

Are School Stabbings the New School Shootings?

via Local12

When I first heard news of the stabbing spree at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, I couldn't believe it. It was difficult to imagine that one high school boy could manage to attack 21 people with just a knife. Talking with friends when we heard the news, we wondered how it was possible that nobody was able to stop him sooner. However, as the story unfolded, the image of a high school stabber became less incredulous and increasingly terrifying. 

Thoughts On How To Make Money Selling Drugs

via Tribeca Film

With a 7.8/10 rating on IMDb, it's no surprise that the 2012 documentary directed by Matthew Cooke is both provocative and enthralling.

Do Fetal Homicide Laws Grant More Rights to the Fetus than the Mother?

via SheKnows

Imagine a world where women have a legal obligation to deliver healthy, perfect children--a world where any abnormality, miscarriage or still birth could be cause for a legal investigation into wrongdoing that may result in charges against the mother. With the rapidly evolving feticide laws in the USA, this scary future is a definite possibility.

Marijuana Prohibition in the Land of the Free

via http://www.cityofferndale.org

A Rhetorical Situation Analysis of the Complexities of the Marijuana Debate

The United States has been waging a war on drugs since its conception. From the restrictive, racially shaded opium laws of the 1800s to the epic failure of Prohibition in the early 1900s, restricting access to substances seen as morally corruptive has become as much a part of the American essence as freedom ("Thirty"). The juxtaposition between these contradictory ideals of liberty and restriction, are undeniably fated for conflict. Marijuana use rose in popularity in the 1960s, crossing race and socioeconomic lines ("Thirty"). mainstream use of marijuana causes a serious issue for society- no longer only are the undesirables, the drug addicts, the criminals and the hippies smoking marijuana- it is the youth of the nation. As use of marijuana becomes increasingly mainstream and cultural inertia shifts, once polarized parties towards the drug are beginning to find common ground. While the possibility of change lingers in the current political climate, the main obstacle between pro-legalization and anti-legalization members is their inability to communicate in the same rhetorical stases.  While these parties are discussing the same topic–marijuana–they are making completely different arguments about marijuana itself, which makes any sort of open dialogue impossible.

Societal Treatment of Addiction in the Land of Excess

A Rhetorical Analysis of Tyler Gillespie's Op-Ed Response to Corey Monteith's Overdose

Beloved actor Cory Monteith passed away this past summer from a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol after battling a severe drug addiction. In response to the actor’s tragic passing, writer Tyler Gillespie took the opportunity to address societal treatment of addicts in Monteith’s wake. In his op-ed piece, “Relapse, Cory Monteith and Understanding Addiction,” Gillespie examines the social climate surrounding the issue of substance abuse in the United States through the story of the late Cory Monteith as well as his own personal experience. Gillespie’s use of kairos is flawless, and his honesty throughout the piece establishes strong ethos as well as pathos and logos.

via http://www.people.com

Is the Purpose of Lethal Injection to Convince Us It's Humane?

Is lethal injection intended to make capital punishment easier for the public to accept, or less painful for the prisoner? Have a listen to my interview with Mary, a nurse for over 35 years, to hear a medical professional's thoughts on the medicalization of the death penalty.

Can Juvenile Delinquents Deserve Life Sentences?

Photo Credit: http://www.staugustinecriminallawyer.com

The US Supreme Court, following a ruling that outlawed the execution of juveniles and life in prison without parole, has recently ruled that it is unconstitutional to impose mandatory life sentences without parole on juveniles in murder cases. The Court found that such a ruling constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Interestingly, the clip (link below) points out that the US is the only country that imposed life in prison sentences upon children. This ruling could reopen sentencing for approximately 2,000 juveniles. I fully support this ruling: I cannot imagine having the rest of my life decided upon my actions as a child or teen. While some may fear that eliminating this mandatory minimum will prevent less of a deterrent for crime, they should consider the role of judicial discretion in sentencing and of the parole board in granting parole. This ruling marries the flexibility of sentencing with the ability of the judge and parole board to use their discretion to best protect the community. Ultimately, I believe this ruling will help a vast number of people.  

What Makes a Good Crime Movie?

What do all of these films have in common? https://t.co/BxoPpwDeGY
— RJ Rixon (@R_J_Rixon) May 4, 2014

Presumption of Innocence in the Age of Trial by Media

Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat

 he burden of proof is on he who declares, not on he who denies

The most difficult part of being an American citizen is the faith we must exhibit in the justice system. The challenge lies in remembering that, as citizens, we are also potential jurors with another person’s fate in our hands. Often, we forget our civic duty, viewing each crime through our own subjective lens and allowing ourselves to condemn people for acts they are accused of committing before a case ever goes to trial. Such views allow us to both vilify and rationalize hatred for someone whose face is splashed everywhere, branded with the word “terrorist,” “pedophile,” or “child killer.” The accused are portrayed as monsters in the media and the minute we see them on the six o’clock news, we are quick to jump to the same conclusion. Regardless of whatever crime an individual may or may not have committed, every person is entitled to the same rights under the Constitution. This issue of fairness then becomes tantamount to justice. 

Photo Credit Julie Blackman

Ethical Concerns Over Live-Tweeting an Undercover Police Operation

Photo Credit: Prince George's County Police Department Facebook, via Government Fleet

The Prince George's County Police Department has recently announced that it will be live-tweeting an undercover prostitution sting operation from @PGPDNews using the hashtag #PGPDVice. While this sounds at first like an ill-conceived reality tv show plot, the real-word ramifications are all too real.

A Conversation About US Drug Policy

Have a listen to my interview with a recovering drug addict on the effectiveness of US Drug policy.

“Faith-Based” Company Hiding Behind Religion To Further Political Agenda?

Photo Credit: Eric Storch

The question of whether Sebelius v Hobby Lobby, Inc about religious or political opposition is one on the forefront of many minds since Molly Redden of Mother Jones released an explosive expose about Hobby Lobby’s investments. Redden reported: