In the U.S.
Former Border Patrol agent sues over firing
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit for a former Border Patrol agent who claims he was fired — just weeks before his probationary period ended — because he expressed opinions about illegal immigration and drug legalization. […]
Gonzalez said while patrolling near Deming, N.M., in April 2009, he told a fellow agent during a casual conversation that he believed legalizing drugs would reduce violence in Mexico.
Gonzalez, who held dual citizenship in Mexico and the U.S. until he turned 18, also told his colleague he understood the economic factors driving immigrants to cross the border illegally.
The lawsuit says word of Gonzalez’s comments spread to his supervisor, who notified agency officials in Washington, D.C. An internal affairs investigation followed, leading to the firing.
According to the lawsuit, the termination letter stated that Gonzalez held “personal views that were contrary to the core characteristics of Border Patrol agents, which are patriotism, dedication and esprit de corps.”
In the U.K.
The U.K. government’s been going through all sorts of efforts to get rid of actual scientists from its Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Actual scientists sometimes tend to tell the embarrassing truth rather than merely providing government with made-up justification to support the policy they already chose.
Now the government is demonstrating the kind of advisors they want…
Government drug adviser under fire over views on gay lifestyle
The body that advises the government on its drugs policy faces fresh controversy after the appointment of an expert with controversial views on homosexuality and the role of religion in combating addiction.
Dr Hans-Christian Raabe, a Manchester GP and member of the Maranatha Community, an inter-denominational Christian movement, was appointed to the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) last week.
Here are some of the beliefs of this new “scientific” drug policy advisor.
“Harm reduction has its place, but I’m concerned that it’s the only policy being advocated,” said Raabe, who has spoken out in favour of abstinence-based approaches. [….]
Raabe wrote: “The only way of stopping people from dying from drug-related deaths is to prevent drug use in the first place!” […]
He also co-signed a letter to a national newspaper in 2004, warning against the government’s decision to reclassify cannabis from class B to class C […]
“Studies have shown that religious commitment, religious involvement or being part of a religious community significantly reduces the risk of alcohol, nicotine and drug misuse, and reduces the risk of depression and suicide,” the Council for Health and Wholeness said [Raabe is their medical co-ordinator]. […]
Raabe also co-authored a paper that claimed: “While the majority of homosexuals are not involved in paedophilia, it is of grave concern that there is a disproportionately greater number of homosexuals among paedophiles and an overlap between the gay movement and the movement to make paedophilia acceptable.”
That B.P. Agent was fired for having opinions. You can’t have your own opinion in Border Patrol. They issue one to you.
I’m glad ACLU is representng the Border Patrol guard and I do not always agree with ACLU, but that’s beside the point a casual conversation and your in deep doo doo that’s chilling to me if there is one I treasure its freedom of speech it seem thwarted more and on every level in our culture is scary everyone is walking on eggshells not wanting to offend someone at work or a public setting and risk being castication threw lawsuits etc.
And touchy subjects like gays and drugs yeah if you do not tow the absolute correct line well terminated it can affect everything. its outrageous.
Ahh lets see they fired or was it he quit the the drug advisor for telling the truth yes a most verifaible truth folks the Govs can’t hide from it anymore cause of alternative press they look like idiots,but yes I KNOW still play on certain crowd to keep that fear factor alive.
And there new guy who look even though I’M gay do not agree with him for my own valid reasons is not only out and flat out lying about Drugs and legal or illegal use towing the full government robotic line he is a anti-gay my oh my that’s a tricky one
I read that in schools in Brittan even anti-gay or slur remarks are going on permanent regards of children in school well if this gentleman a gov employ is breaking there own rules I quess he needs to get written up and fired for oh maybe discrimination HELLO since the UK by their own FUCKING standards have become so fraking PC ABOUT EVERYTHING we will see hypocrites to greastest degree and they are banning folks from entering their country for saying much less harmful propaganda maybe huge parts of UK government should resign immediately and pack there bags and leave themselves their up-surd running ACMD.
He wants abstinence based oh yes lets all live like the perfect sanitiezted bubble what planet is he from sorry some of like to have full choices in our life and freedom of Medicine and Diet.
According to a post over at the Transform blog, another newly appointed member to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Sarah Graham, is an advocate of ear accupuncture / magnet therapy.
It is deeply disturbing that people advocating pseudoscience are directing drug policy in the UK.
According to her website she is also a former cocaine addict: http://www.sarahgrahamsolutions.com/#/profile/4533795020
“Harm reduction has its place, but I’m concerned that it’s the only policy being advocated,†said Raabe, who has spoken out in favour of abstinence-based approaches.
Raabe wrote: “The only way of stopping people from dying from drug-related deaths is to prevent drug use in the first place!â€
Can we just redefine the phrase “cognitive dissonance” already as the effect illegal drugs have on those who do not use them?
Actually not just cocaine is seems. You can read all about her polydrug use here: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/from-groucho-club-to-rehab-one-womans-battle-to-beat-cocaine-addiction-468765.html
When did ‘history of polydrug abuse’ become a desirable attribute in a Government Advisor?
Maybe we can start putting former traffic offenders in charge of road safety rules too. Convicted drink drivers in charge of blood alcohol limits?
How about bank robbers in charge of the banks? Oh wait. We already have that….
Vicky, your writing is atrocious beyond belief; you constantly refuse to use punctuation, leave out whole words and your spelling is truly abominable.
Your above post is practically unreadable; is it strong medication or don’t you just give a damn?
And god said, “Let there be light”; and there was light…oops, sorry, wrong story! Where was I, ah, yes, true to its word, the UK Government is showing us that it is courageously sticking to its plans, announced back in Dec 2010, to ban science from drug policies:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/05/government-scientific-advice-drugs-policy?&
The Government has now shown its true colours by injecting superstition into the veins of drug policies themselves, too. I am still scratching my head trying to find out what the latest addition to the ACMD is supposed to contribute to. After hours of trying, the only explanation I can fathom is that he has been appointed to the ACMD because he is an expert in hallucinations and altered mind state behaviour: this person believes that drinking a sip of wine and a morsel of wafers will not only do a great deal of good to your sinful soul (whatever it means), but guarantee you eternal life and a perpetual place to the right of somebody whose residence address is unknown…even to the Home Office! Some even say that he is an alien—if in doubt, ask the scientologists.
On second thoughts, I think I owe the Government an apology: it is bringing real expertise, I do not know if the right expertise, but expertise nonetheless.
Gart Valenc
http://www.stopthewarondrugs.org
Of course they dont want people who tell the truth. It would undermine all they do, it counters all the lies they use to get what they want …money and power over the masses. Truth and justice in government has two meanings. One meaning that you and I understand, and the one the government has for its self. After all, how could they bend laws to suit them if they didnt lie and redefine words so it fits their agendas.
Speaking of words. The Chinese president had his visit. One thing I heard was our government/president speaking of Human rights abuses in china….humm. Sounds like a the splinter in the eye analogy.
These human rights belong to all nations does it not? Now chinese people are surely treated wrong, disappearing off the street to show up in a “re-education camp” years later. Here we seem to have a better way dont we.(sarcasm) We just have our thugs break into your home and kill you for what you put in your body.
Hey US government, pull the redwood out of your eye .
All you have to do is believe that a merciless and vengeful God will damn your immortal soul to hellfire if you use drugs! It works! It really does!
Seriously though, if a person can accomplish abstinence from sex, they can probably do the same for drugs. Now that this has been noted, what’s the solution for the other 97% of the human population?
Raabe’s co-authorship of his pedophile paper obviously didn’t include a proper job of editing. Here is how the paper should have read:
“While the majority of religious fanatics are not involved in paedophilia, it is of grave concern that there is a disproportionately greater number of religious fanatics among paedophiles and an overlap between Catholicism and the movement to make paedophilia acceptable.â€
The more I think about it, the clearer it is to me why the Government has taken the decision to change the balance of power in the ACMD — which by the way, started with the sacking of Prof. Nutt by the labour Home Office secretary, Alan Johnson. The ACMD motto should read: a mental institution should be run by its patients. After all, they are the ones with the most direct, deep and personal experience one can wish for. So, let’s invite the delusional, the superstitious. Why stop at christians? It should also be open to other experts in the paranormal and the supernatural: astrologers, mediums, levitationists, … (you can add your favourite expertise to the list)
The sad thing is, our drug policies, incarnated in the so-called “war on drugs”, is not a laughing matter. These policies are responsible for the violence, corruption and destruction of democratic institutions of a large number of countries around the world,… ours included!
Gart Valenc
http://www.stopthewarondrugs.org
Yes I do have fucking spell check, sorry I don’t fucking proof read perfectly.
I’ll try to do better and yes I do take a shit load of drugs for Intractable chronic pain Fuck off.
Ah it leaving off words I tend to ad-lib a bit its my style.
Vicky, I have a brother-in-law who’s in similar circumstances as you. My sincere apologies; I will do my utmost in future to comprehend and enjoy your posts!
My love
Sara
Thanks Sara.
I have three pain ailments,plus Fibromyalgia thats the one
chronic pain syndrome, I would not wish on my worst enemy.
I will not bore with details sufficient to say besides the never ending pain, its like living with a case of mild to slightly moderate Alzheimers.
Yes I’m very passionate about Cannabis someday becoming
fully legal and accessible for recreational and Medical purposes.
Thanks again,sorry besides for the Fibro and other ailments yeah, and taking of legal strong painkillers,cannabis,muscle relaxants and lots of other assorted meds,natural supplements,natural bio-identical hormones,hell I’ve even practically have become a vegetarian,only
eating meat on occasion and with all that,My mind is still a muddled mess believe its damn depressing to be me.!!!
A few more thoughts its just I know in life will all have our crosses to bear.
Do not want to sound like I’m just feeling sorry for my self.
I’m quite proactive concerning my other chronic pain conditions and ailments, and
just with fibro its still even with many books out there on it,and a magazine, Its still a very controversial and misunderstood syndrome.
That’s all.