The War on Drugs
I could write about the war on drugs. I could write about the flawed policy, the scare tactics and misinformation, the bad science, about how it’s a tremendous waste of time, money, resources, and human life.
But why bother, when a search will instantly turn up countless articles, studies, videos, interviews, and testimonials from scientists, historians, politicians, law enforcement, religious leaders and community figures, individuals and organizations who have researched the facts and come to a conclusion that the majority of the population already agrees with.
The thing is, at this point no one should have to write about the war on drugs. The debate is, from any intelligent standpoint, over. We should not be discussing whether or not it should be reformed, we should be discussing how it’s going to be reformed. And yet both debates are largely exempt from any formal political discussion. The disconnect between the will of the people and the stance of the government has never been larger than on this issue.
The war on drugs stands today as a testament both to the power of established authority to suppress truth, and to the power of truth to rise to the surface nonetheless. It is up to this generation, and those following it, to determine which of these forces will ultimately prevail on this issue.
Paul Simon – How Can You Live In The Northeast || 2006/Surprise
I agree, there really is nothing more to be said, nor is there any need to say anything, its time to stop talking and start changing the drug policy.
Well put dan.
In today’s modern political system this will be an extreme challenge, which is probably why it hasn’t happened yet. Our democracy is so indirect from the public, it would take a massive movement to really generate some attention, much like the 60′s and 70′s. Maybe focused more around scientific and logical facts than peace and love.
The attitude in general towards drugs is slowly getting more civilized, but until a movement occurs, drugs are still a cultural taboo and people standing against the law will probably not be seen as visionaries. And for this reason, it’s almost impossible for a politician to take a stand and start a political change in Washington, because most likely they will lose votes and support.
But the way the trend is going, soon there will be enough support where the gain (of votes and therefore power) from taking a stand on drug policy will outweigh the loss.
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