And now for something completely different
When I think Walter Cronkite, the term "anti-drug-war activist" doesn't exactly spring to mind. But the legendary anchorman is active even in his retirement. Here is his recent article about the foolishness that is DEA's drug war.
Walter Cronkite: The Truth About The War On Drugs
To somebody who has read drug reform literature before, his arguments are nothing new. What's surprising is that this isn't coming from Marc Emery, a pop star, or a picketer, but from one of the most respected journalists in media - from an era before the polarized scapegoating, finger-pointing festivals pretending to be debates that we see on the news today. Oh, and it seems he conducted his own investigation.
His conclusion is the one that people have been shouting from the rooftops for years, but one that the government refuses to acknowledge:
Amid the clichés of the drug war, our country has lost sight of the scientific facts. Amid the frantic rhetoric of our leaders, we've become blind to reality: The war on drugs, as it is currently fought, is too expensive, and too inhumane.
And that's the way it is.
P.S. It's not entirely fair of me to say that the government is completely blind to the issue. The government is, well, rather large, and digging deeper, it's clear that some of its members are sentient with regard to these issues. Four Representatives have recently put forward a request to estimate how much the DOJ has been spending to enforce federal medical marijuana laws. The requests is worded rather bluntly, and can be read here.
P.P.S. After writing the post, I looked for a bit more info about Cronkite's letter. It seems that my comment about popular news shows was spot on; Bill O'Reilly has recently referenced Cronkite's effort in his signature style: misquoting, accusing, and spinning. He accuses Cronkite of supporting violent crack dealers, and calls him insane. That much is generic O'Reilly ire. But what's really hilarious is that he then issued an open invitation for Cronkite to debate him on the issue.
A quote from a Lyrics Born song comes to mind:
Lyrically y'all don't compare to me in any contest
Like a stealth bomber up against a Hyundai Accent
...
The Loch Ness Monster up against a crawdad
Walter Cronkite: The Truth About The War On Drugs
To somebody who has read drug reform literature before, his arguments are nothing new. What's surprising is that this isn't coming from Marc Emery, a pop star, or a picketer, but from one of the most respected journalists in media - from an era before the polarized scapegoating, finger-pointing festivals pretending to be debates that we see on the news today. Oh, and it seems he conducted his own investigation.
His conclusion is the one that people have been shouting from the rooftops for years, but one that the government refuses to acknowledge:
Amid the clichés of the drug war, our country has lost sight of the scientific facts. Amid the frantic rhetoric of our leaders, we've become blind to reality: The war on drugs, as it is currently fought, is too expensive, and too inhumane.
And that's the way it is.
P.S. It's not entirely fair of me to say that the government is completely blind to the issue. The government is, well, rather large, and digging deeper, it's clear that some of its members are sentient with regard to these issues. Four Representatives have recently put forward a request to estimate how much the DOJ has been spending to enforce federal medical marijuana laws. The requests is worded rather bluntly, and can be read here.
P.P.S. After writing the post, I looked for a bit more info about Cronkite's letter. It seems that my comment about popular news shows was spot on; Bill O'Reilly has recently referenced Cronkite's effort in his signature style: misquoting, accusing, and spinning. He accuses Cronkite of supporting violent crack dealers, and calls him insane. That much is generic O'Reilly ire. But what's really hilarious is that he then issued an open invitation for Cronkite to debate him on the issue.
A quote from a Lyrics Born song comes to mind:
Lyrically y'all don't compare to me in any contest
Like a stealth bomber up against a Hyundai Accent
...
The Loch Ness Monster up against a crawdad
1 Comments:
Amen Brother Cronkite. That's the problem with law - it lags behind in more ways than you can count (case in point: the antiquated law about giving a monkey a cigarette in South Bend... unless you're in the Organ Grinder's Union, who the F^@< happens to see a monkey wandering down Michigan Street and thinks it's trying to bum a smoke? was it really necessary to waste ink on that?). And basically there's no way to remedy it. Anyhow, don't tell my cousin that I called shenanigans on his crusade (fed. marshall/former DEA). I'll never hear the end of it ;)
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