Wow!
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) passed a resolution Tuesday calling for an end to the “War on Drugs†during their 102th NAACP Annual Convention in Los Angeles, CA.
“Today the NAACP has taken a major step towards equity, justice and effective law enforcement,†said NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Jealous. “These flawed drug policies that have been mostly enforced in African American communities must be stopped and replaced with evidenced-based practices that address the root causes of drug use and abuse in America.â€
The resolution, titled “A Call to End the War on Drugs, Allocate Funding to Investigate Substance Abuse Treatment, Education, and Opportunities in Communities of Color for A Better Tomorrow†highlighted the fact that the United States spends $40 billion each year fighting the drug war and that African-Americans are 13 times more likely to end up in jail for drug-related crimes than their white counterparts. […]
The NAACP is now calling for drug treatment rather than jail time for offenders. […]
Once the NAACP board of directors ratifies the resolution in October, the NAACP and its chapters will mobilize to begin campaigning and fighting against the “War on Drugs.â€
Update: Via Jacob Sullum
Rooks says the full text of the resolution will be available after the NAACP’s national board approves it in October. He says the resolution supports needle exchange programs, condemns mandatory minimum sentences, and criticizes Byrne law enforcement grants, a program supported by President Obama that has fueled the incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders and funded the regional anti-drug task forces behind racially tinged law enforcement scandals in places such as Tulia, Texas. But in general, Rooks says, the resolution “is not a policy document”; instead it outlines “principles and ideas” that should guide “our units” in adopting specific positions. Among those principles: “that those who are arrested for drug offenses not be sent to prison—that’s explicit.” Rooks says the resolution does not distinguish between users and suppliers in that respect, but neither does it call for legalization. “In terms of decriminalization or legalization,” he says, “we did not get into those discussions.”
I’m quite happy with an NAACP resolution that explicitly states that those arrested for drug offenses should not be sent to prison. That’s a huge step.
Really amazing!
I’d really like to see the text to see just how significant this resolution actually is. Remember, even czar Kerlokowske often says the “war on drugs” approach hasn’t exactly worked and that we need to put more money into treatment…
Kerlikowske doesn’t organize anti-drug war campaigns though, there’s a big difference there.
Excellent observation, Tom. You’re part of the new blood this old blood dude likes to see flowing… And maybe it’s just my Afghani afternoon delight, but am I the only one to notice you are the yin to yang?
We don’t know, D.W. Give the man and the organization a chance. Remember, the NAACP is a creature with a lot of teeth…..
I agree, Tom, that the devil is in the details. However, even to get that kind of statement from the President of the NAACP is pretty huge.
I can’t help but believe that this has been influenced by Neil Franklin’s efforts.
Well, Pete, it certainly wasn’t influenced by Obama’s efforts. The enemy of my enemy is my friend notwithstanding, I’m not sure Jealous brings much to the table – so being skeptical seems only prudent.
Best news we’ve had in a while.
The War on Drugs failed $1 Trillion ago! This money could have been used for outreach programs to clean up the bad end of drug abuse by providing free HIV testing, free rehab, and clean needles. Harmless drugs like marijuana could be legalized to help boost our damaged economy. Cannabis can provide hemp for countless natural recourses and the tax revenue from sales alone would pull every state in our country out of the red! Vote Teapot, PASS IT, and legalize it. Voice you opinion with the movement and read more on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/01/vote-teapot-2011.html
If you think the war on drugs has failed, you probably also believe that those soldiers launching grenades into your children’s bedrooms are there to protect you. Prohibition is, and always has been, a tool of oppression. The so-called “war on drugs” was never anything but a vehicle to put more people in prison for victimless activities. The reason to end it is not that it has failed. The reason to end it is that it was conceived in and always has been motivated by greed and political ambition. What I’d like to know is how the NAACP intends to “end the war” by supporting prohibition.
Better late than never….the wod and the mass incarceration of minorities is the biggest civil rights issue since slavery.
This so-called war on drugs is just another attack on the Black community. Finally the NAACP is taking a stand against this nonsense. We need new policies and reform on the Drug Laws altogether. If people in the Black communities would just get out and vote than there would not be so many racist laws in the books these days (2011). The mass incarceration of minorities proves that the United States of America is racist, stuck in time (Slavery Days AGAIN), and unwilling to change. IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE!! the mass incarceration of minorities is the biggest civil rights issue since slavery. Vote!
They DO get out and vote in very high percentage of their population. Problem is they are voting for the same old liars and cheats, they’ve always voted for. Hello, definition of insanity!
This is good news,will it really make a difference? and get things moving in right direction, I really hope so.
They have put pressure on companies discriminating against folks and ,Let’s hope they can pressure many in government to take this seriously and starting dismantling War on Drugs.
This looks like it’s all over the blogs, but not much in the papers yet.
They’ll stick it on page 17, right next to the story about the missing dog.
WOW!Now, when the day comes that prohibition /WODS is over, what do you all think that day should be called?!
The whole world can sit down and have one together. You know once WODS falls here …it will in many other areas too.
For the advancement of colored people? How advanced is that? After 100 years and 3000 lynched for insolence, undoubtedly caused by Jazz and Gage. 2.3 million slaves laboring for tax paid Koch. Bros. and Fed prisons. Predominantly people of color and more than half on some trumped up drug charge. Since all drug charges are trumped up. Especially Cannabis. Cheap labor caused racism, that justified slavery. Eliminating competition through prohibitions. Booze, Drugs or even Prostitution, a threat to the Marriage Industrial Complex run by the church. Booze removed the farmers ethanol and heating oil. Biodiesel came long before crude oil, As electric Trolly’s were replaced by smog creating buses. Government tax subsidies give farmers cheaper gas with a dye added to thwart cheaters. But the mash from last years crop distilled into another seasons tractor fuel is still prohibited by licenses and alcohol prohibition. Hemp removed the same way, by the same people using the same backstabbing means as today’s Neocons. AA’s were not freed by Lincoln, only those living in enemy territory. As part of the war powers act. Not by Congress. The GIBill was denied black WW2 Vets in the South. No loans, no homes, no college… Whites had a distinct advantage that only carries on generation after generation. Now the wealthy young brats, obedient to their fathers want to crash the government agencies bringing aid to Americans. To spend locally, stimulating local economies. Neocons objective to take from the states and counties and give to DC and Wall St. Ain’t the GOP yo momma smoked.
Are the Teabogs Traitors, Serving a Southern Neoconfederacy?
Thank you Miss Rosa
* The Racist Ganjawar
* Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & MMJ Prohibition
Representing International interests. Along with the no bid cold war industries taking more from the local tax payers. Less local revenue, less business, more lost and falling between the ever widening cracks, meaning more dependancy on the Feds, meaning more strings attached. Buying Corporate, takes money locally. Doesn’t get spent locally. If I hadn’t witnessed the total insanity of seemingly average people go comic book crazy over Ganja and even Hemp I’d think we had more sense. But you can’t learn from History when Rupert and Bennett are writing it. Blaming the “government” is neurotic, since the “government” is a word that has no atoms or molecules. Just a word that can’t do anything. The humans we elect regardless if we vote are by law our representatives. If they represent an oil company they are breaking the law. Party allegiance over the Country is treason. That seems obvious who are traitors and who are cowards trying to appease them. The Ganjawar is a microcosm of just how much crap the Neocons can get away with. Hell they get support from the mindless masses. Short term memory loss of the tax loopholes trickling down to China and Anti drug efforts in Thailand. The apathy vote protest is retarded as a thirsty person dumping out water because its not coke. 1/16th of the population decides who legislates these means to an end draconian legalsleeze laws. Half can’t vote, half of that aren’t registered, half of that sit at home, the eighth remaining are split between gomer and goober, and now gomer has gone full tilt bogeyman frothing with addiction to get the trains to run on time. Don’t Feed the Beast!
Slavery: Another Fine Product Still Made in the USA!
Which justice system do we get?
My first reaction was, “Well, it’s about damn time the NAACP stepped up and at least SAID something about the assault on Black communities.” Second reaction, after reading the piece, is “Here we go again with mandatory treatment, which for most people, is nothing but a longer, slower road to prison.”
Most people who use illegal drugs DON’T WANT TO QUIT. And the only way to get them into treatment is to CONTINUE THE WAR AGAINST THEM.
A country is not United when one has to move to another
state to recieve MM to releive his or her pain an or
suffering of which I have been finally releived of in the compassinate state of OREGON I will never live in a state the violates my civile liberties and God knows how myself and others continue to be persecuted in other states that are ignorent too the facts of medical cannibus!!!!! Chris Lee