Drug WarRant

No, this isn’t about recent legislation in New York.

It’s about Barney Frank and Ron Paul, and Willie Nelson and The National Review.

Those of us following drug policy regularly know that sanity in drug policy is not necessarily a liberal or conservative thing — in fact, for the most part, both liberal and conservative politicians have shown no sanity at all. Sanity in drug policy is simply about sanity, not about party or political leaning.

National Review and Willie Nelson Unite for Pot Legalization at the Atlantic Wire

The characteristically liberal National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Legalization (NORML) and incredibly conservative National Review seem like strange bedfellows, but they’re not. On Monday, NORML posted a link to a National Review editorial that attracted hundreds of likes and dozens of comments. “You know it’s a strange day when the National Review calls Lamar Smith out for his mistakes,” writes one commenter of the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who has vowed to block Barney Frank and Ron Paul’s bill to end federal prohibition pot.

Right on Marijuana at the National Review

The War on Drugs, which is celebrating its 40th year, has been a colossal failure. It has curtailed personal freedom, created a violent black market, and filled our prisons. It has also trampled on states’ rights: Sixteen states have legalized “medical marijuana” — which is, admittedly, often code for legalizing pot in general — only to clash with federal laws that ban weed throughout the land.

That last sin is not the War on Drugs’ greatest, but it is not insignificant, either. A bill introduced by Reps. Barney Frank (D., Mass.) and Ron Paul (R., Texas) would remove the federal roadblock to state marijuana reform, and though the Republican House seems almost certain to reject it, the proposal deserves support from across the political spectrum.

Willie Nelson:

As many of you know, Drug WarRant was offline pretty much the whole day.

No, the FBI or the DEA didn’t shut me down. Drug WarRant wasn’t being censored. My domain hadn’t been seized.

In fact, the actual reason was due to one of you, and some serious incompetence on the part of server hosting staff.

It’s a tawdry story, but if you’re interested, you can read it after the jump.

Continue reading →

McAllen buys $150,000 SWAT vehicle

With 11 gun ports, a rotating turret and room for 10 officers, the modified Ford F-550 will help city police handle high-risk calls, police Chief Victor Rodriguez said. Cash and other assets seized during police operations will cover the emergency service unit’s $150,000 price tag. […]

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office already owns a Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicle — commonly referred to as BEAR — built by Lenco Industries of Pittsfield, Mass. Purchased in 2009 with federal funds, the BEAR cost $346,000.

McAllen sought a smaller, faster vehicle for city use, Rodriguez said.

Why does a police department need 11 gun ports and a rotating turret for city use?

If and when you actually get into those kinds of firefights, shouldn’t that be the time to call in the National Guard?

There are critically important reasons that police serve a different purpose and should operate in a different manner than the military. A militarized police force is a serious blow to a free society.

Some of you may be aware that I am involved in a lot of different interests and pursuits. One of them has been as photographer and Artistic Director of The Living Canvas. It started out as photography of the human body primarily using projections as the source of light (textures and other images interacting with the human form). Later it also evolved into a performance art form utilizing everything from dance, movement, and combat to Shakespeare and original stories exploring new territories.

The performers are all naked, yet clothed by the ever-changing projections. Each show is a collaboration with a lot of artistic partners, including a cast drawn from a wide range of interests and skills.

This year’s show — The Living Canvas: Rain — opens Friday at National Pastime Theater in Chicago, and will be running Fridays and Saturdays at 10 pm through August 20. Tickets are $20 and available at NakedJuly.com. I’ll be there almost all the performances leading the Q and A after the show. Check it out if you get a chance. If you have friends in Chicago, let them know about it.

Here are some reviews of past shows:

“Intriguing and fanciful… feast for the eyes.” — Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

“Intensely peculiar and mesmerizing… It’s riveting.” — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune

“Stoners, Dali fans, sensualists of every stripe, this show’s for you. Sober or otherwise, you’ll find the visual pleasures of Guither’s idiom considerable.” — Brian Nemtusak, Chicago Reader

“‘The Living Canvas’ is as powerful as it is beautiful. Pete Guither has once again made his mark on modern theatre, this time pushing the envelope of artistic creativity to new realms … As part of National Pastime Theatre’s Naked July Festival, Guither ingeniously showcases his ability to intertwine the beauty of the naked body with flowing motion, mesmerizing projections and a riveting storyline that invokes a wide range of emotions.” — Buzz Magazine

In other traveling news, in addition to being in Chicago every weekend, I’ll be traveling to Indianola Iowa to celebrate my Mom’s 89th birthday on July 4th, and to Quincy, Illinois to celebrate my Dad’s 89th birthday on July 7th. July 10-12 I’ll be in Los Angeles to get together with some alumni friends, and later in July, I’ll be judging an independent film festival that I’m sure I’ll talk about later.

Sorry for the neglect, folks. I’ve been busy doing tech rehearsals for my show that opens in Chicago on Friday. I’ll give you more details on that, along with some additional postings tonight.

In the meantime, this is an open thread.

Big news, so far apparently not reported in U.S. media

Bolivia abandona la convención de la ONU contra las drogas

La Paz, 22 jun (EFE).- El Congreso boliviano aprobó hoy, a petición del presidente Evo Morales, la denuncia de la convención de la ONU contra los estupefacientes de 1961, como protesta porque el organismo no ha despenalizado el masticado de la hoja de coca.

La Cámara de Diputados, controlada por el oficialismo, ratificó en primera y segunda instancia la ley de abandono de la convención, tras leer una carta de Morales, líder de sindicatos de cultivadores de coca, base para la producción de cocaína, y escuchar explicaciones del canciller, David Choquehuanca.

“La convención del 1961 prohíbe el acullicu (masticado de coca). Si nosotros no hacemos esta denuncia, nuestros hermanos no van a poder ejercer esta práctica ancestral”, dijo Choquehuanca.

Google’s imperfect, but useful translation:

La Paz, June 22 (EFE) .- Bolivian Congress today approved the request of President Evo Morales, the denunciation of the UN convention against drugs in 1961, as a protest because the agency has not decriminalized chewed leaf coca.

The Chamber of Deputies, controlled by the ruling, upheld on first and second instance the law leaving the convention, after reading a letter from Morales, leader of coca growers unions, the basis for cocaine production, and listen to explanations Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca.

“The convention of 1961 prohibits acullicu (coca chewing). If we do not make this claim, our brothers will not be able to practice this ancient practice,” said Choquehuanca. […]

… the chief deputies, Edwin Tupa, defended the move, noting that defends “the dignity of Bolivians” and “the sacred leaf.”

He added that critics of the measure are in favor of “Empire (USA), which unfortunately wants to continue as a narcotic to the coca leaf.”

Update: Apparently still needs Senate approval.

The Justice Policy Institute has released a new report: Gaming the System: How the Political Strategies of Private Prison Companies Promote Ineffective Incarceration Policies

It’s clear that the prison industry sees the drug war as something important to their bottom line.

“The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by our criminal laws. For instance, any changes with respect to drugs and controlled substances or illegal immigration could affect the number of persons arrested, convicted, and sentenced, thereby potentially reducing demand for correctional facilities to house them. Legislation has been proposed in numerous jurisdictions that could lower minimum sentences for some non-violent crimes and make more inmates eligible for early release based on good behavior.” – CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT

Krokodil

Russia has had some of the worst drug policies, pushing for abstinence over any kind of harm reduction programs. This is what you get.

A date to fill sane people with fear.

Sunday, 26 June, is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is leading a global campaign to raise awareness about the major challenges that illicit drugs represent to society as a whole, and especially to the young. The goal of the campaign is to mobilize support and inspire people to act against drug use.

“Inspire people to act against drug use.” Chilling. Especially considering the tendency for some countries to use this date to execute drug offenders.

Efficient

During the first five months of this year, China’s courts heard 25,986 cases involving drugs and convicted 24,815 criminals.

A 95% conviction rate.

Drug War Creates Distrust Between Cops and Communities by Leigh Maddox (retired Captain, Maryland State Police).

The 40-year-old “war on drugs” and the criminalization of addiction have placed communities at odds with law enforcement, prosecutors and courts — to the detriment of justice and respect for the rule of law. The violence driven by the astronomical profits of the illicit drug market and the life-long collateral consequences for those snared by drug laws will continue to exile generations from the mainstream.

It might be surprising to hear this from a cop like me, but the solution to our current human rights crisis will ultimately require the legalization and regulation of current illicit drugs.

If the Law’s Unfit, You Must Acquit

Cool new illustrated guide to jury nullification by Ricardo Cortés. Downloadable for free: Jury Independence Illustrated

Via press release from the Drug Policy Alliance

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce bi-partisan legislation tomorrow, June 23, ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states legalize, regulate, tax, and control marijuana without federal interference. Other co-sponsors include Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). The legislation would limit the federal government’s role in marijuana enforcement to cross-border or inter-state smuggling, allowing people to legally grow, use or sell marijuana in states where it is legal. The legislation is the first bill ever introduced in Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition.

Leading critics of the war on marijuana will explain its significance for state and national marijuana policy at a national tele-press conference on Thursday.

Sounds like the bill is attempting to do what the Constitution theoretically already did: limit the federal role to the regulation of interstate commerce.

There are a number of GOP candidates who are talking about getting the federal government out of state roles (education, etc.). Wonder how quick they’ll be to support this (other than Paul and Johnson, of course).

The tortured analogy is a device used by the ignorant (or those preaching to the ignorant) usually in an attempt to make something sound bad by fabricating a non-existent comparability to something horrific.

Example:

“Serving on that committee is like watching the extermination of the Jews in concentration camps.”

No, it’s not.

In political terms, the tortured analogy is often used because the ignorant (or the one preaching to the ignorant) would rather not addresss the actual facts of the issue and so tries to make the issue itself seem ridiculous to short-circuit real discussion.

We see this in drug policy a lot.

“If you want to legalize drugs, why don’t you just go ahead and legalize rape while you’re at it?”

It’s a classic tortured analogy misdirection. Of course, my favorite response to that is a rather facetious “If you don’t know the difference between drugs and rape, you’re not going to get invited to the good parties.”

All of us know why that’s a tortured analogy. It’s an attempt to avoid any real discussion of the issues. Drug transactions are consensual, rape is not. Drugs are demand commodities; rape is not. If you arrest a drug dealer, it creates an immediate job opening caused by demand, so the net effect of the arrest is an increase in drug dealers, whereas if you arrest a rapist, you get the rapist off the street, and it doesn’t result in a demand for new rapists. The illegality of drugs makes them so valuable that corruption in law enforcement and other areas inevitably ensues; the illegality of rape doesn’t make rape valuable.

These things are completely incomparable.

So here, my friends, for your amusement, is the Tortured Analogy of the Day!

This comes from the Katz Litterbox at the Pacovilla Corrections blog. Howie Katz is a former law enforcement officer and retired professor of criminal justice.

Law Enforcement For Pedophilia

A prominent group of former law enforcement officials announced the formation of Law Enforcement for Pedophilia (LEP), an organization whose goal is to repeal the laws against pedophilia.

“I was a police officer for 34 years, the last six as chief of police in Grossville,” retired law enforcement veteran Norm Stoner told the press conference held to announce the formation of LEP. “At one point in my career, I had an epiphany. I came to the appreciation that police officers could be doing better things with their time and that we were causing more harm than good by arresting pedophiles. My position is that we need to end the prohibition against pedophilia. We need to replace our Victorian laws by following the lead of Thailand and other enlightened countries that allow sexual relations between adults and children.”

The formation of LEP is ridiculous, isn’t it? Well, it’s not much more ridiculous than Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a tiny group of former law enforcement officials urging an end to the war on drugs and advocating the decriminalization of recreational drug use.

Actually, to compose Norm Stoner’s absurd LEP statement, I paraphrased a statement about the war on drugs made by LEAP member Norm Stamper, former police chief of Seattle.

Congratulations, Howie! You have the ability to paraphrase.

Taking a criminal justice class from you must have been like having your brain smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.

I think I’ll sit back with a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster and let my readers take your silliness apart.

If you don’t already follow/support Americans for Forfeiture Reform, you should. Our asset forfeiture systems in this country are a total disgrace, full of corruption, and essentially a “legalized” system of highway robbery, allowing government entities to take cash and property and use it themselves, often with no evidence of criminal activity.

Grasping at Straws gives an update on the Camp Zoe situation…

The federal government has finally brought charges against Jimmy Tebeau, the musician who owns Camp Zoe, which the government is currently attempting to take through civil forfeiture. The case looks like thin gruel. Saint Louis’ River Front Times reports:

The 44-year-old Cape Girardeau resident faces a single felony count of “operating premises for the facilitation of illegal drug use,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On its face, that appears to be a highly unusual charge for a land owner/music promoter. It neither alleges that Tebeau himself sold illegal drugs nor used them personally — and appears to discount the festivals’ music and entertainment value almost entirely. […]

That is completely absurd. Tebeau is a musician who bought that land to use as his primary venue. He played scores of shows at Camp Zoe and hosted dozens more with musical acts ranging from George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic to Los Lobos, the Roots, and the Marshall Tucker Band. During the summer it was one of the larger venues for live music in the state of Missouri. Like any music venue with thousands of attendees, drug use occurred there, but to say that Tebeau held all these events purely to allow drugs use to take place is an extraordinary claim. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and considering that the U.S. attorney is not charging Tebeau with the possession or sale of any drugs, I doubt the government has it.

Instead, I think the government may be using this charge to force Tebeau to acquiesce in the fight to keep Camp Zoe.

Fortunately, in many areas, people are starting to wake up to the atrocities of forfeiture abuse, particularly when corruption in the spending of the proceeds comes to light. But we need even more attention in this area.