My father sent me an article about the extra sad dimension of drug laws and how the target drug audience is in the majority African American men and Women and how systematically we have an 80% prison attendance in the African American community because of social and economic disadvantages that then lead to drug affiliations of all stripes which then lead to incarceration because the law supports criminalization of drugs. This isn't theory or conspiracy theory this is facts on the ground right now. I support the decriminalization of all drugs for community reasons (taxes,regulations etc...)although I don't support promoting their use but I do see the argument that prescription drugs which are readily available are as harmful or more harmful because they are protected by law and society and in turn are not considered low or shaggy or sleazy and bad and yet our streets are treacherous (drugged elderly drivers) our schools as dangerous ;teens taking family pharmaceuticals in school and shooting up the student body with guns obtained by "dad". So in short America is indeed in the middle of a big disconnect when it regards drugs and what is safe and harmless and what is low life and marginal. Imagine if we decriminalized drugs, regulated them, taxed them and made it better to partake in safe environments etc...there would be an instant emptying out of our prisons and the people who work and make a living selling drugs become legit and so many fringe dwelling "drug dealers" become the future Bronfman family "Seagrams" who lets be honest began as illegal bootleggers. My Father feels as does the head of Normal publication that the motive for criminalizing drugs is racial at the end of the day. The concept is sinister and takes my breath away. Couple that with prison for profit. The business of incarcerating people and lets face it; people who happen to make up 80% or more of the prison population who also happen to be ethnic. There is something to this...I just think that whilst we struggle to change our society that the African American community gets smart and follow the laws and stay out of trouble. We can stop the violence and this abuse but not doing illegal drugs.
I want us in the African American community to be crusaders to change our society and help evolve it to a more mature smart and forward place. Holland doesn't have a perfect system but they have had decent drug laws and the testing or studies are out; it doesn't promote or encourage more drug use. No, in fact it takes the extra "rebel charge" off them thereby making/ inspiring people who are not that into them choose healthier alternatives like a "sport".
I want us in America to be the smartest, most compassionate place; to regain and become a good character valuing place. A place where we are real leaders globally and not bullies. Where we rethink our entire system by improving/changing everything from, energy policies to policies that work and are real,changing how we finance politicians running for office; simplify and correct campaign financing take the corporations out of the mix,decriminalization of drug laws and to giving everyone in America Dick Cheney-esk quality health care for a minimal fee. Because these issues are vital to our survival. Finally religion; keeping it in its place and out of our courts and military and our foreign policy.
1 comment:
Hey Sister, I hear your perspective, but I want maybe take it in a slightly different direction. It's money first and race second. Race is a means to an end. Prescription = profit. Prescription = legitimacy. Drug companies can sell drugs with side effect that include "death", but because the FDA got paid for putting the drug through their process, the drug company can sell death legally. Drug companies can sell crack, even if it's legal, because it hurts their legitimacy. And if someone else sells it, then it changes the definition of what a "drug" is, so the drug companies would be subject to all the new regulations... would would affect profit.
So why Black folks as a target? America has always profited from free or reduced cost labor. After Jim Crow ended, we invested in South Africa. When apartheid ended, some of the companies that divested from S.A. invested in prisons. The thirteenth amendment stated that you couldn't be a slave just because you were Black, but you could if you were convicted of a crime. So by sending Blacks to jail for drug crimes, you destroy the outside community by supplying it with drugs, and then keep resupplying the free labor prison market when you arrest the dealers.
I don't think we should legalize all drugs. We should make some street drugs legal, and some FDA drugs illegal. We just took my aunt off of Warfarin/Coumadin this past weekend because it was killing her. And her doctor is mad because it was the only reason he was able to keep her as a patient. Exploiting Blacks = Profit.
I soooo thank you for giving a voice to this issue.
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