Odds and Ends and Open Thread

I’m preparing for a talk I’ll be giving on the drug war to a Peace group tomorrow at 4 pm at the Unitarian Church, 1613 E. Emerson, Bloomington, Illinois. I’m sure anyone who was in the area and wanted to drop in would be welcome.
“bullet” Pope lauds drug war in Mexico.

He acknowledged the nation’s efforts to build a more “just and united ordering of society and to overcome the contrasts that continue to afflict the country.”
In particular, the Holy Father noted Mexico’s work to eliminate “violence, drug trafficking, and inequality and poverty, which are fertile ground for delinquency.”

Yeah, the 10,000 dead must be a real feather in your cap. And how is that eliminating violence and drug trafficking going, huh?
“bullet” Police vs. Police

In a hair-raising standoff that sent motorists scrambling for cover, municipal police pulled their guns on masked federal agents in one of Mexico‰s biggest cities Ö a stark display of the tensions caused by a crackdown on drug corruption among the country‰s lawmen.

“bullet” Attorney General Eric Holder speaks some truth. (Excerpts highlighted at kath.A.rine)

Getting smart on crime requires talking honestly about which policies have worked and which have not, without fear of being labeled as too hard or, more likely, as too soft on crime. Getting smart on crime means moving beyond useless labels and instead embracing science and data, and relying on them to shape policy.

“bullet” Court makes marijuana activist give up his 1st Amendment rights.
“bullet” Dean Becker in Huffington Post: Pissing on Drug Warrior Graves

Those who support drug prohibition are the best friends the drug lords could ever hope for.

“bullet” Ryan Grim on CNN

“bullet” DrugSense Weekly
“bullet” “drcnet”