I'm with you in that the war on drugs is a convoluted mess. I see things from both a legal perspective, as well as a common-sense viewpoint. I was giving talking points on the Castille case because of laws as they currently stand, and why they unfolded they way they did. Whether you like it or not, until laws are changed, they will have an impact on legal cases. Right or wrong, the law still applies.
Personally, I am happy to see laws loosen up on marijuana. But, that doesn't mean free and without rules or repercussions. Laws should apply to things such as DUI, workplace and other issues. Like alcohol, it can be mood altering and is known to cause reaction issues. Therefore, it becomes a safety issue. So, I can agree with these rules. I don't agree with arresting someone for having a bag of it, as they don't arrest someone for having a carton or two of cigs.
I know, right? We got so much freedom and liberty, we got nothing left to worry about now but safety!
I would like to see all the costs of the items listed on the graphic from LEAP included in these calculations. Quarterly profits related to the marijuana industry mean little to me. I am not buying, selling, manufacturing, or profiting from it in any way.
I'm not arguing with you about how some things are unfair, or unjust. It's a part of life, and we change what we can and where it makes sense. If we can't, there's two choices: Accept it and go on by not breaking the laws. Or, don't accept it and continue to do things while knowing at some point will have a legal interaction again. Plain and simple. If you continue on and accept the risk of getting caught, it's on you and no one else to blame. So, in many ways, I have little sympathy. Even if I don't agree with the law.
Acceptance of govt policy, or feel the boot...
Getting back to the war on drugs, what's your solution? Rather than just bitching about it, what's your solution?
Well, like I said, I donated a little money, I signed a petition or two, I did the NORML thing way back. Whether it had any effect or not in the larger scheme of things, I don't know.
One thing I am not going to do is regurgitate this corrupt government's war propaganda for them, e.g. "controlled substance/smell of marijuana" garbage.
Personally, I think the War on Drugs has served it's purpose, so the whole issue may be moot. We are accustomed to the SWAT raids, the no knock warrants by military, the mass incarceration, pointless deaths, all the things listed in the LEAP graphic I posted, etc. Now we can move on; we are now at the War on Sex Traffickers stage.
Now this part is interesting. Consider the issue of the government running Playpen on the darkweb...
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/09/playpen-story-fbis-unprecedented-and-illegal-hacking-operation
I was willing to give the FBI benefit of the doubt here considering the heinous nature of this, while a much more conservative family member was horrified by it (her opinion that then-president Obama was the Antichrist may have affected her feelings on the matter).
Following the internet propaganda over the last year in an attempt to discern what (if any) truth was behind the whole pizzagate issue, I have read a lot of encouragement of the idea that mass arrests are an indication that 'elites' will soon fall. Laughable imo, especially looking into a number of local news stories across the country over the last year/listening to Congressional hearings on sex trafficking.
Just like the War on Drugs in no way prevented whatever shady shit was going on in Mena, Arkansas years ago, I don't think the War on Sex Trafficking is going to take away Epstein's private island, or keep the Clinton family from visiting it, or keep the Bush family from associating with callboys (if they so desire).
The more I have read into Federal corruption over the last year, the more suspicious I become over this story...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-foundation-sentenced-to-18-months-in-prison/
He may well have earned that 42 year cp prison sentence, idk. But the more I look at my government, the more conspiracy minded I become. It is because they appear to be anything but trustworthy.
Or consider this one...
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/...n-russia-fake-news-hacking-cybersecurity.html
There is that word, "kompromat" LOL. Now I don't know if this article was put out by guilty people looking to cast doubt, or people that genuinely had evidence planted on them. What I do know is that no matter how hard they point the finger at Russia, well....I trust the US, the UK, the Israeli, the EU govts about as much.
Now this is reportedly being done for the sake of the children, an arguably worthy cause. That doesn't justify the propaganda efforts re. the war against white supremacy, or the war against Russian propaganda, or the war against hate speech that our little leftist cult is so valiantly fighting.
The Fourth Amendment has been trashed. The First may soon follow. And if they Second holds, it is going to mean little if you find yourself sitting naked in a cell next to a Glock.
I do think there is a war on the 2nd amendment. There is a lot of shit on the NRA youtube channel I agree with tbh. On the other hand, some of it makes me want to gag. It is sort of like Sean Hannity and Dana Loesch; they may have a piece of the truth, but if they are going openly promote their fave flavor of fascism along the way, then piss on the both of them, and their little Chinese made NRA fannypacks too.
So I guess my answer to the War on Drugs is to understand this; a lot of the foot soldiers conducting it are well meaning people of integrity; I think a lot of them are criminals themselves who would just as obediently drop canisters of Zyklon B as dig through somebody's trunk; and I think all of them, knowingly or not, are waging a war on behalf of a criminal cabal.
"Of the people, by the people, and for the people" appears to be nothing but a myth at the moment. 8 minute vid:
(sorry i called your head verbose, forgive me I was annoyed)