NOW says NO to the drug war

Fabulous news from Students for Sensible Drug Policy:

SSDP Executive Director Scarlett Swerdlow, also a member of the National Organization for Women’s National Young Feminist Task Force, spent the weekend in Nashville with Deborah Small of Break the Chains, Jean Marlowe of the Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform, Angelyn Frazer of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and Wyndi Anderson of National Advocates for Pregnant Women. Deborah moderated an amazing session exposing the War on Drugs as a stealth attack on women, children, communities of color, and other traditionally underrepresented and -served populations.

Most importantly, though, NOW adopted a resolution that opposes the War on Drugs and in its stead supports an approach to drug use, abuse, and addiction that fosters compassion, health, and human rights. Plus, the resolution obligates NOW to educate its leadership and membership about the unique impact the War on Drugs has on women through the use of the organization’s site, resources, materials, and literature, as well as through regular legislative updates, especially on pending drug laws and policies that impact women. Finally, SSDP and others will work with NOW to convene an ad hoc committee to research current drug laws and policies with a particular impact on women and develop an action plan to be implemented locally and nationally by NOW chapters and the NOW National Action Center.

This is extremely welcome news. It is so vitally important that we continue to increase the involvement of all kinds of groups in fighting against the excesses of the drug war. We need groups on the left and the right and everywhere between.
We’ve got cops. We’ve got churches and other religious groups. We’ve got women. We’ve got teachers and students. We’ve got lawyers and other professionals. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Every bit we do to educate people adds to the collective intelligence of the population regarding the drug war. And more groups and individuals join the call for reform. Eventually, we’ll reach critical mass, and the drug warriors will have no base.