Over the long and (not so) storied history of this country's epic War on Drugs ©, we've flushed billions down the metaphorical toilet, incarcerated thousands of otherwise relatively harmless Americans, and just generally flailed away in futility. Despite billions and billions spent, despite the effort and the resources expended, we find ourselves today no closer to victory than when this misguided war was embarked upon.
Few politicians with a desire to continue their career and enhance their prospects for upward mobility have had the balls to questions the War on Drugs ©. To do so runs the risk of seeing sound bites used against them by their political opponents: "SENATOR X IS SOFT ON DRUGS!! SENATOR X IS SOFT OF CRIME!! SENATOR X WANTS TO CODDLE CRIMINALS!! SENATOR X WON'T PROTECT YOU FROM THOSE EVIL, NASTY PEOPLE WHO WOULD HARM US!!" It's difficult to honestly address the reality of a failed policy when you fear putting your political career in jeopardy. This is why I'm so impressed with Barney Frank, who's actually introduced a bill to decriminalize marijuana. And isn't it about time we start considering that perhaps we've lost this war...and it's time to start thinking differently?
I'm not a huge fan of marijuana, but neither do I think it's the root of all that's Evil. I'm just not certain that incarcerating those who sell it and use it serves any useful social purpose other than to make felons out of people who don't deserve it. Oh, and it allows politicians to burnish their "tough on crime" bona fides. Perhaps it really IS time to start thinking outside of the box. Putting people in prison hasn't stopped marijuana. Hey, if alcohol is legal (if heavily taxed), they why can't we do the same thing with marijuana? If you can't stop it, why not regulate and tax it? I'm not an expert, so I'm not going to sit here and expound on the merits of my argument, but it seems clear that what we've been doing for years simply isn't working. Adhering to the tenets of "Reefer Madness" is a damn poor substitute for an intelligent, well thought out policy.
Barney Frank's bill may not be the solution. It may even create a whole raft load of new and different problems. Even so, isn't it time that we admit that the pointless, never-ending War on Drugs © just isn't doing what we've convinced ourselves it is? Why is it that we rail against wasteful government spending...and yet never address the moral and financial black hole that is the War on Drugs ©? If any other public policy initiative had been show to be such an abject faiilure, the demands for it to be ended would be legion. Yet the War on Drugs © continues apace, unimpeded by expectations of success. The mere fact of the existence of the War on Drugs © seems to be sufficient, because politicians have come to see it as the third rail of public policy: touch it at your own substantial risk.
I'll begin to think that we're serious about address drug use in this country when we finally begin to address the reality of our national alcohol problem. Until and unless our elected leaders take off their collective blinders, we'll no doubt continue flushing billions more tax dollars down the drain. And nothing will change.
Same as it ever was.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
Barney Frank gets it right and bravely joins Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul, who have sponsored similar legislation in past sessions. This bill is likely to suffer the same fate as others have--dying in committee--but you have to start somewhere. I'd like to start by throwing a shoe at the wimpy, selfish politicians that refuse to even entertain an intellectually honest discussion on alternatives.
btw, Happy Birthday Milton Friedman
For a small fraction of the cost of maintaining our failed war on drugs we could provide far more effective treatment for abusers, and real education instead of the ONDCP/DARE propaganda.