The Drug War Thread, Part II

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by MasterShake29, Aug 11, 2009.

  1. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Continuing from https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=688820


    The New York City Police Department is EVIL.

    How can you draw any other conclusion after reading this:

    o arrest people for small amounts of pot. They are. Although there are parts of the country where marijuana is a low priority for police, there are also places like New York City, where police have developed finely tuned mechanisms for arresting and convicting as many minor marijuana offenders as humanly possible.

    What makes New York City's epic war on marijuana so remarkable is not just the staggering number of arrests (more than any other city on earth), but the despicable methods that are used to achieve that result. First, police must work their way around the fact that 1) possession of small amounts of marijuana is decriminalized in New York and 2) the 4th Amendment forbids searching people against their will without evidence of a crime.

    Basically, the program consists of stopping large numbers of people (primarily young black and Hispanic men) for no reason and then saying this:
    "We're going to have to search you. If you have anything illegal you should show it to us now. If we find something when we search you, you'll have to spend the night in jail. But if you show us what you have now, maybe we can just give you a ticket. And if it’s nothing but a little weed, maybe we can let you go. So if you’ve got anything you’re not supposed to have, take it out and show it now.”
    When police say this, the young people usually take out their small amount of marijuana and hand it over. Their marijuana is now "open to public view." And that – having a bit of pot out and open to be seen – technically makes it a crime, a fingerprintable offense. And for cooperating with the police, the young people are handcuffed and jailed. [Alternet]

    Amazingly, you're not actually guilty of a crime until you attempt to cooperate with police. It is literally the act of showing them your stash that is a violation of the law and everything they say up until that point is designed to trick you into doing that. As is so often the case, policing in the war on drugs consists of tricking people into breaking the law so that the law can then be enforced.

    Don't let anybody tell you we're not waging a war on marijuana users in America. That's exactly what we're doing and that's why marijuana policy reform has nothing do with people wanting to get high. This is about justice, human rights, and common sense. To jettison these principles because of marijuana is an act of unfathomable lunacy.


    Emphasis mine. This is unbelievable.

    Also covered on Reason's blog.
     
  2. Metrogo

    Metrogo Member

    Apr 6, 1999
    Washington Hghts NY
    This isn't exactly right. Coercing consent is not consent. If these facts are established, the evidence would be supressed and the cast thrown out. NYPD's motivation is not to arrest pot smokers. They want to run warrant checks on as many black and latino young men as possible, with the hopes of picking a few up. It's not about marijuana, it's about using "quality of life" crimes to willy nilly conduct warrant checks.
     
  3. JBigjake

    JBigjake Member+

    Nov 16, 2003
    Source document? http://www.nyclu.org/node/1736
    Hyperbole aside, if someone's only contact with the criminal justice system is a Desk Appearance Ticket for a pot bust, the case should be ACDed (Adjourned in Contemplation of Dismissal) & the arrest expunged shortly afterwards.
     
  4. crazypete13

    crazypete13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 7, 2007
    A walk from BMO
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Post count limit is now 2000, but whatever.
     
  5. JBigjake

    JBigjake Member+

    Nov 16, 2003
  6. Metrogo

    Metrogo Member

    Apr 6, 1999
    Washington Hghts NY
    Which begs the question, why put someone through the system for 24 hours or more when it will just be acd's anyway?
     
  7. YankHibee

    YankHibee Member+

    Mar 28, 2005
    indianapolis
    Want me to get her high?
     
  8. JBigjake

    JBigjake Member+

    Nov 16, 2003
    Previously, if an arrestee has ID & no warrants, they would be processed & released at the pretinct on a Desk Appearance Ticket & not have to go to Central Booking.
    Apparently, A political decision was made by Mayor Giuliani, etc., to view public marijuana use as a QOL (quality of life) problem, to be treated by subjecting arrestees to the full booking process. Here's a less histrionic article:
    http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2519880
    Scroll down to Option 1 & Option 2 to see the difference.
    I hope she's already getting a buzz from all the meds she's taking. :D
     
  9. Metrogo

    Metrogo Member

    Apr 6, 1999
    Washington Hghts NY
    It still works that way sometimes. Others go through the system. I agree.
     
  10. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Let's go to the other coast:

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...o-westside-pot-dispensaries-shoots-a-dog.html

    I thought Barack Obama was not going to have the feds raid medical marijuana dispensaries anymore? Guess he didn't mean that promise either.

    I wonder how many people will suffer as a result of this dispensary being shut down?
     
  11. JBigjake

    JBigjake Member+

    Nov 16, 2003
    Looks like he needs to have a beer with a few of his own guys. :D
     
  12. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Or he needs not to be full of crap. One or the other.
     
  13. fatbastard

    fatbastard Member+

    Aug 1, 2003
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    the president can tell the DEA chief what he would like to see - that does not mean that lunkhead has to care. That's the DEA's damn policy and no one but no one can tell him any different, is my guess to how that suggestion was taken.
    It is sad that the DEA keeps doing this nonsense.

    If I go into large-scale pot dealing, I'm getting me an exploding dog so when the cops shoot it, it blows up and kills them all :rolleyes:
    Where's PETA when you actually need them? ;)
     
  14. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Doesn't the President appoint the head of the DEA? So like if he doesn't care, can't he fire him?
     
  15. fatbastard

    fatbastard Member+

    Aug 1, 2003
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    you'd hope someone will fire him for stuff like that :)
    I think it's a DOJ level position and no one may want to fire anyone there for what appears to be a political reason after the mess with all the attorneys that Rove and Gonzales and those guys shitcanned.
     
  16. LiverpoolFanatic

    Liverpool FC, Philadelphia Union
    Feb 19, 2000
    Lancaster, PA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    National politics is a non-starter. Throw your anger, desire for change, and energy into LOCAL politics. Fuck DC.
     
  17. topcatcole

    topcatcole BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 26, 2003
    Washington DC
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But DC IS my local politics...;)
     
  18. Matt in the Hat

    Matt in the Hat Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 21, 2002
    Brooklyn
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.naturalnews.com/024765_drugs_DEA_prescription_drugs.html

     
  19. JBigjake

    JBigjake Member+

    Nov 16, 2003
  20. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No, it's not.

    Quiz for you Jake

    Question #1: Of Heroin, Marijuana, or Water, which one is impossible to overdose on?

    Question #2: Which of those three should be illegal?
     
  21. JBigjake

    JBigjake Member+

    Nov 16, 2003
    Your sarcasm detector not working today?
     
  22. crazypete13

    crazypete13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 7, 2007
    A walk from BMO
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Pffft - water, obviously.
     
  23. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Possibly.
     

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