The War on Drugs Part Deux

In trying to keep these articles short and sweet, I failed to point out some obvious reasons that the War on Drugs is not only failing to eliminate drugs, it is also threatening any vestiges of liberty we have in this country. In this Part Deux, I will hopefully open some eyes to the totalitarian tactics of the government in fighting this nonsensical war.

First, let me point out that the Constitution has been undermined by the War on Drugs. Bill Bennett, the so-called Czar of Character, showed little of that character while serving as Drug Czar. He implemented a nice little money-maker for the Feds called "Asset Seizures." What this entails is that the Drug Enforcement Agency, and a whole slew of local police organizations, seize the assets of suspected drug dealers, and then sell them - all before a conviction is ever obtained! This is a direct violation that states that "no person shall be deprived of...property without due process of law," the so-called Due Process clause in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

Second, our police departments have become more militaristic, all in the name of fighting this war. Rarely is the general public informed of the number of innocent victims of police "no-knock raids." One such raid found the police breaking down the door of a residence, engaging in a gun fight, and having a cop killed. Afterward it was discovered that the man whose door was kicked in was not even the suspect, nor was it the suspects house. The police went to the wrong house, and one of their officers was killed. Guess what happened next? The man who owned the house was charged with second-degree murder! Now, that's justice in America.

Third, along the same lines as the second; I recently read a story about a young man who had a small quantity of pot. He was a college student, and he had a handgun (with the necessary fascist paperwork). The police broke down the door and shot him. Both the young marijuana user and the police officer were charged in the incident - the young man with a felony, for having pot; the officer with a misdemeanor for shooting an unarmed and non-violent pot smoker. That's more justice in America for you.

These incidents are by no means isolated. These type of things happen everyday; violating people's fourth and fifth amendment rights, shooting non-violent drug users, violating trespass laws and the like. All in the name of the War on Drugs.

This insanity must come to an end. We cannot have a free country based on the concepts of liberty while the government is allowed to determine what is and what is not good for us. I am an adult, and I should have the right to self-determination. If I choose a less than beneficial way, that is between me and my god. When Government gets involved in these type of things, they have declared themselves to be god. If only they would stop a 10% when demanding their tribute...