war on drugs racist war?

[diedre]

Do you think that the war on drugs is a racist law? Seeing as african Americans are diproportionately represented in the prison system it makes me wonder if this isn't just another form of slavery. They don't typically look for drug dealers in white neighborhoods and especially not rich white neighborhoods. They look for them in poor ethnically diverse african american neighborhoods. In my opinion any law that is put in place that incarcerates more people of one specific ethnicity over another it is a racist law and needs to be looked at. I think that the sentences amongst blacks tend to be much harsher than those that are white. A suggestion that a friend of mine had was that it may be a form of population control. Stereotypically speaking blacks make more babies than whites (not true numbers wise - percentage wise but not number wise.) so how do we control them having so many babies take them out of society so they can't make any more. This whole thing just disgusts me and i was wondering if anyone else had an opinion on this matter. thanks

[Strasse]

Originally Posted by diedre

They don't typically look for drug dealers in white neighborhoods and especially not rich white neighborhoods.

The path of least resistance (fastest route back to the donut-- I mean cop--shop) is to go after the low-hanging fruit. I'm sure there are drug dealers in my neighborhood (I live on the westside near Los Angeles, with a Prius and a BMW in every driveway), but unless you had lots of good information and a search warrant, you're never going to find them. If someone's slinging on the street, that's an easy bust, no warrant required, and the odds are no private attorney challenging every aspect pre-trial -- an easier bust all the way around. Plus, it depends where you're at... White trailer park meth lab communities stock the jails full of white faces.

But anyway, there's a pretty simple way to avoid it -- don't trap, come up on your own honestly and legally, and you don't have to worry about being part of any overrepresentation down at the hoosegow. I'm just sayin'...

[nikka]

i tend to agree with strasse...... the government knows who is going to fight against them. think about it... the black kid from the ghetto that has no education and no family support or the white kid who lives in the suburbs with a physician as a father. if you were the cops who would you go after? who would be easier?

i am not saying that they dont get busted... but those in lower class brackets seems to get busted more often. i donot think its a race issue but more of a money/class in society issue. it just seems to be that most lower class families are colored...

[BabygirlNGary]

I agree with all the above. African American males have to really watch their backs and stay on the straight and narrow because there is a witch hunt out there and they want our black men. It is a way to keep us from having black babies. They are looking at 20 years from now the black population will be greatly reduced . They are counting on black women having to turn to other races to reproduce therefore eventually eliminating a pure black race. I got all this off a site for white supremicists. They have members in every courthouse, congress, police station, law office etc. The KKK is runnin things on the down low.

[Strasse]

Thanks for that, BabygirlNGary. Now, back to reality...

[BabygirlNGary]

Sadly that is reality!!!!!!

[Anjewel]

There is some truth in the white supremacist groups still having some say...and it's STILL called the 'good ol' boys'. Just do a google on Martin Lee Anderson and tell me there's not.

You will not make me believe he died of sickle cell. It is not possible for a beating to bring on sickle cell death like it would be if the child had asthma. I just don't have it in me. And, the gloating and snide remarks these people had to say...I was ashamed FOR them. I wasn't there but I can bet MY LIFE that there's several involved in that mess that will answer sooner or later for what they done or condoned.

But, there's also truth in what Strasse says...if this boy's parents had the money and time to keep him out of trouble he wouldn't have been there to start with...

I am NOT saying it was their fault. Do not hang me up for that statement. I only meant that in this day and time, it is so hard to raise four on my own. And, I am white and all the kids are too. I just have to do the best I can and give the rest up to a higher power.

These days it's not so much who you know or who you 'do'...it's how much money you got for EVERYTHING!

Furthermore, since we're stating our opinions here...the war on drugs is the same as the war on cancer and HIV. If the government WANTED to stop it, it would have been nipped in the bud a long time ago.

[nikka]

i kinda believe that there is some truth to what babygirl is saying. not really saying that they are all members of the KKK but they do share some of the same views. (if not some than damn near all of the same views.)
I mean lets be honest... politics is the 'white mans' playground. they run it. Dont you think they notice the statistics of which race is incarcerated most of the time?

look at the statistics i found from infoplease.com

About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 was incarcerated, by far the largest racial or ethnic group—by comparison, 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of white men in that same age group were incarcerated. According to a report by the Justice Policy Institute in 2002, the number of black men in prison has grown to five times the rate it was twenty years ago. Today, more African-American men are in jail than in college. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college. In 1980, there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college.

its a shame but its reality. everyone knows that things will not be changing anytime soon. if you grew up in the ghetto, low income, barely enough money to pay the light bill, waiting in line for hours to get food stamps, etc..(the list goes on forever) and you seen a way to make quick cash to take care of your family--- what would you do?
would you still try to suffer it out or take the risk of getting caught and arrested? i do not support any illegal activity but I understand the reasons for it and I understand that you have to do what you have to do to survive. i am a black person and i see all that people around me have going on with them. (thank god my mother moved me from that environment) but I still have all my old friends. i still hear about the crooked things that happens . i still see the power that 'white' people have..(do martin lee anderson ring a bell?-- what about jena 6?).. its just a real shame how things are. its a shame. it hurts. but its out of my hands........ you just gotta learn to deal with it. we are the minority not the majority. (well in the government anyway)

[Anjewel]

Originally Posted by nikka

I mean lets be honest... politics is the 'white mans' playground. they run it.

Yes, let's be honest and specific...the rich white man...that nine times out of ten hasn't a clue to the average Joe's life.

Not saying rich is all that bad, just a totally different lifestyle and didn't the constitution say something about 'a group of our peers'? I just don't see it happening.

[Strasse]

Originally Posted by ShoogaBritches

didn't the constitution say something about 'a group of our peers'?

I don't mean to sound as snippy as this is going to sound, but, rather than kinda-sorta guesstimate about what you remember the Constitution saying, why not look it up? I realize civics class was a long time ago for all (well, most ) of us, and that most of y'all didn't have Chemerinsky shoveling Constitutional Law down your throat in law school, but the Constitution is available online, for free, from myriad sources and isn't all that long to read. (For criminal law, pretty much everything you need is in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th amendments.)

What the Constitution actually says is: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed . . ." (6th Amendment)

That's been interpreted by the Court as requiring a jury that's "impartial and
drawn from a fair cross section of the community," WAINWRIGHT v. WITT, 469 U.S. 412 n1 (1985), and expounding on that is left as an exercise for the reader (I was at work until 4am last night, I'm fried).

Regardless, I live in a pretty well-off area (I think the median home price in my zip code is over a million, though I didn't pay anything close to that for my condo) and when I was called for jury duty (but not empaneled), the folks in the assembly room with me weren't uniformly my immediate neighbors -- it was a pretty comprehensive cross-section.

[Anjewel]

Originally Posted by Strasse

I don't mean to sound as snippy as this is going to sound,

That's been interpreted by the Court as requiring a jury that's "impartial and
drawn from a fair cross section of the community," WAINWRIGHT v. WITT, 469 U.S. 412 n1 (1985), and expounding on that is left as an exercise for the reader (I was at work until 4am last night, I'm fried).

First, don't worry about sounding snippy...Lord knows I could use some tact myself sometimes. If my mother didn't agree with something I said but knew she wouldn't get any where with me, she'd have done the same thing...found something to chastise me about.

I appreciate you correcting me, that way I don't go off some where and look that ignorant, again.

Second, no matter what the actual wording of the constitution is, I still don't see it happening.

I guess I was just wrong, wrong, wrong all around. I was thinking that the LAWS should be made by a group of our peers, but then...I guess we'd have to vote the right ones in...and that would mean having a real vote, not a government, covered-up-in-red-tape catastrophe, that's happened the last couple of times I was actually trying to pay attention.

I could care less about that jury because they have to go by the law as it's explained to them by the judge.

I apologize for bringing up the constitution instead of just stating my opinion as is.

[Amy98ta]

I don't think it's about race it's about money. Those that have money can afford good attorneys and get them off. Those that don't have money can't afford a good attorney so they get stuck with a public defender and usually get the max sentencing. This can go for either white or black cause we all know not all white people are rich and not all black people are poor. Those are sterotypes that are being assumed.

[bobbysbaby]

Hmm, in our town it goes in cycles - for years it was every white, trash, redneck crank whore junkie they could get their hands on. Racking sentences comparable to murder. then nothing for 5 or 6 years, now it's black men and white women and crack - they issued 74 warrants last week early in the morning and got them all. I am wondering what type of sentencing they will get as well. But we are a pretty small town, around 40,000 or so and we are part of what was known as "little dixie" so they will probaby rack up even worse time.

[nikka]

i agree that those are stereotypes but there is some truth to it. there are more white people that are rich and more black people are poor. i am not saying ALL of them are but truth is what it is. (or at least thats how it is in my part of town,)

Originally Posted by Amy98ta

This can go for either white or black cause we all know not all white people are rich and not all black people are poor. Those are sterotypes that are being assumed.

[jade02]

Black,white hispanic,it dont make a shit ya did wrong ya going down PERIOD!!!!!!

But narcotics is americas number 1 form of income IMO!

[gigi29]

I think it's more of a class struggle than racist...if you are poor or working-class, you can't afford the best lawyers, etc., no matter what your race

[Wobabi]

Drugs has a very long history in this country,,I saw one doc where Cocaine,,the main drug putting african american males in jail was once given to them as dock workers to get the work done fast,,,they were not counting on the addiction,,nor this rumor that it makes them horny and therefore will run out raping white women(now this is what the doc said),,so all of a sudden its illegal for blacks to have cocaine meanwhile the rest of the country was putting it in soda water,,,,it went down hill from there.

[ohwhatacruise]

EDUCATION is what it boils down to...typically blacks/hispanics are lower income, less educated in many areas not all of course...so they turn to drugs for fast $$...HOW MANY DRUG DEALERS DO YOU KNOW THAT RETIRE TO A GOOD LIFE? White or Black? Personally I think all drug dealers should get the death penalty since they pedal drugs that kill and ruin lives by the dozens....just my opinion because I spent the last few years in hell because of crack dealers who deliver! Black Hisp white no difference, do you think drugs discriminate? Anyone too lazy to get a real job could be a drug dealer, color not a matter..just laziness...All breeds can choose to sell dope it is only the dumb ones who choose that lifestle though.....

[Anjewel]

Originally Posted by ohwhatacruise

Personally I think all drug dealers should get the death penalty since they pedal drugs that kill and ruin lives by the dozens....just my opinion because I spent the last few years in hell because of crack dealers who deliver! Black Hisp white no difference, do you think drugs discriminate? Anyone too lazy to get a real job could be a drug dealer, color not a matter..just laziness...All breeds can choose to sell dope it is only the dumb ones who choose that lifestyle though.....

These are some mighty strong words here, cruise. I can certainly understand your pain, however...this would be the same as suing the gun manufacturers for the people that shoot the guns, no?

How about suing the Producers of movie's with gruesome violence and drug use, making it okay?

Let's not worry about those people that got caught up and addicted to this stuff, or the ignorant people that bought or stole the guns or the parents that allow the kids to watch this stuff.

It's all supply and demand. The supply wouldn't be worth a penny if the demand wasn't there.

Marty wouldn't be serving a life sentence if his parents hadn't moved to Florida or if his parents were more strict or more lenient or if he'd had different friends or if the guy woudn't have been there to sell them to him or...
Marty wouldn't be serving a life sentence if he hadn't used drugs?

We can blame it on all kinds of things, but the fact remains, Marty used the drugs...I have never known or even known OF a drug dealer that would deliver without a call requesting such delivery.

As long as there is demand, there will be supply.

And, let's not forget the millions my kids will be due from the tobacco company upon my death because I smoked my self too death.

Instead of worrying about how lazy Marty's drug dealer is I am more interested in his ability and will power to control his addiction. He owns it, it's his own damn fault that he's addicted.

[nikka]

shoogabritches..........

I COULDNT AGREE WITH YOU MORE!!!! when will people stop placing blame on other people and look into themselves? Isn't one of the steps in the treatment for drug addiction is to take responsibility for YOUR actions. Supply and demand is what all businesses are based on. and drug dealing is just that.. a business. (an illegal and bad business, nonetheless, a business)
McDonalds food can my clog arteries and i can die if the clot goes to my heart. If i die from a clot -------is it my fault for buying the bad food or is it Mcdonalds fault for giving me what i asked and paid for?

[BabygirlNGary]

This is typical for a drug user to blame a dealer for their own problems. Drug users are to blame for their use of drugs and noone else. If there were no dealers the user would find some way to use some kind of drug to get the high they so badly want. Laziness causes drug users to keep using to fight the pain inside them instead of getting off the drug and deal with their pain in a more constructive way. Many people cant get a real job for various reasons color being one of them so they make money however they can to support their families. I would not call that dumb.

Originally Posted by ohwhatacruise

EDUCATION is what it boils down to...typically blacks/hispanics are lower income, less educated in many areas not all of course...so they turn to drugs for fast $$...HOW MANY DRUG DEALERS DO YOU KNOW THAT RETIRE TO A GOOD LIFE? White or Black? Personally I think all drug dealers should get the death penalty since they pedal drugs that kill and ruin lives by the dozens....just my opinion because I spent the last few years in hell because of crack dealers who deliver! Black Hisp white no difference, do you think drugs discriminate? Anyone too lazy to get a real job could be a drug dealer, color not a matter..just laziness...All breeds can choose to sell dope it is only the dumb ones who choose that lifestle though.....

[LamontLover]

so... how bout them patriots?! lololol... anyway, this is an issue that wont be resolved for the simple fact that... we simply need REFORM. I'm in Florida and let me tell ya'll something... every color and creed family is being burned alive with this drug war... white kids gettin big time as the black kids... maybe once upon a time it was only one sided, but I work for the Clerk of Courts, and man... these "time machine" judges are trying to make examples of ANY color kid that comes in front of them. And ya'll? That's real... oh and that goes for the men, too... we're being burned alive with this thing... heaven help us soon...

[cinderella2004]

I guess it all depends on how you look at things. I'm not sure all the disproportion is due to race, seems to me the difference is between the haves and the have nots. I think money still plays a huge part in the outcomes. Those with the money get better advice, better lawyers, better deals and whatever else.

Population control? Oh ok, right - a large group of white men sat down and said gee we gotta control the black population, they're makin too many babies so we gotta lock up as many as we can. What a shame you think such things.

Maybe the difference lies in education. Education is hope and without it you are hopeless. Education levels the playing field. I just read Philadelphia has a 40% high school drop out rate. No wonder its drug infested and known as the murder capital that it is! These kids are dropping out of school and they are screwed by doing so.

Peace, just MHO.

[nikka]

Originally Posted by LamontLover

so... how bout them patriots?! lololol... anyway, this is an issue that wont be resolved for the simple fact that... we simply need REFORM. ... heaven help us soon...

LOL !!!! ......YEA. I SEEN THEM! im not even gonna start on them sorry dolphins. this is not the thread for that.



i guess on the drug war we will all have to just agree to disagree. because i still maintain my belief that its money and nothing more.

[LamontLover]

No doubt... and thank God Ima Raiders Fan!!!
-but we must pray... complaining wont help unless we're united on that front...

Originally Posted by nikka

LOL !!!! ......YEA. I SEEN THEM! im not even gonna start on them sorry dolphins. this is not the thread for that.



i guess on the drug war we will all have to just agree to disagree. because i still maintain my belief that its money and nothing more.