Another change you won't see from obama

[FUCK THE POLICE]

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/12/18/154645/37

Another Change You Won't See From Obama
By Jeralyn, Section Obama Administration
Posted on Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 02:50:00 PM EST
Tags: Barack Obama, marijuana reform (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

From the time Sen. Barack Obama announced his candidacy, I wrote and wrote about his record on criminal justice issues, particularly with respect to our drug laws. I didn't like what I learned and said so repeatedly. While his policy positions and Hillary's were quite similar, the difference between them, I thought, was that he had spent a lot of time thinking about these issues and legislating on them as a state senator in Illinois. I felt, rightly or wrongly, that we least had a chance with Hillary to convince her on a few points since she hadn't paid a great deal of attention to these issues in the past, either as First Lady or as Senator. She'd be more of a blank slate. Of course, that's all water under the bridge. I only mention it because readers are bound to respond with, "Well Hillary wouldn't have been any better." It's beside the point.

On his website, Change.gov, Obama asked readers to ask a question about the policy change most important to them. The results: the number one question among 7,000 policy topics raised was legalization of marijuana. His response: No way. [More...]

Again, this is not a surprise. But, where do drug law reformers go from here in trying to convince Obama. Particularly in light of his non-reformer choice of an Attorney-General?

Paul Armentano at NORML suggests:

1. As President, Obama must uphold his campaign promise to “not … use Justice Department resources to try and circumvent state laws” that legalize the medical use of cannabis.

2. Obama can appoint leaders to the US Department of Justice, DEA, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy who possess professional backgrounds in public health, addiction and treatment rather than in law enforcement.

3. Obama can support the autonomy and health of Washington D.C. voters by encouraging Congress to lift the so-called “Barr amendment” (WM: Yes, named after Bob Barr - remember, that guy the Libertarians ran for president?) (passed by Congress in 1998 and reinstated every year since then), which prohibits the District of Columbia from implementing a 1998 voter-approved ballot initiative legalizing the use of marijuana by authorized patients.

4. Obama can call for the creation of a bipartisan Presidential commission to review the budgetary, social and health costs associated with federal marijuana prohibition, and to make progressive recommendations for future policy changes.

Paul makes another good point:

Ultimately, of course, it’s Congress, not the president, who is responsible for crafting America’s oppressive federal anti-drug strategies. Moreover, it is clear that in the coming years this battle will continue to primarily be fought — and won — on the state level, not in Washington D.C.

Obama is now taking more questions at the Change.gov website. Here's Paul's suggestion for submissions:

“On Election Day, over 3 million voters decided to legalize the medical use of cannabis in Michigan, making it the 13th state to enact laws allowing the legal medical use of marijuana. While campaigning, you pledged: ‘What I’m not going to be doing is spend Justice Department resources to try and circumvent state laws on this issue.’ As President, will you and your Attorney General uphold this promise not to target and prosecute patients and providers who are in compliance with state medical marijuana laws?“)

Politicians are never going to end the useless war on drugs until constituents demand it of them. So, despite the disappointment, keep the pressure on -- particularly with your state and congressional legislators. This is change that has to filter up, it won't come down from above.

A few more posts:

* 12/14/07: The Democratic Candidates Discuss Their Crime Agendas
* 12/3/07: Hillary Comes Out Against Crack-Powder Retroactivity (includes Obama's views)
* 11/25/07: Obama and Medical Pot: More Research Needed
* 11/12/07: Obama Touts His Death Penalty Reform Role (Also see this comment to the post)
* O8/28/07: Obama Wants to Strengthen Drug War in New Orleans
* 8/15/07: Obama Wavers on Crack-Powder Sentencing (includes his position on death penalty)
* 7/1/07: Dems Debate Sentencing Reforms and Mandatory Minimums

Stop the Drug War says we got burned, but we saw it coming. We sure did. But we're not giving up.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Early in the debates, they were talking about this. Kucinich said we needed to end mandatory minimum sentences, Dodd said basically the same thing, and Hillary and John said we needed to abolish most of them and set up alternatives to prison.

Obama and Richardson were the only ones that said, basically, nothing on the issue, but a bunch of platitudes and filler. We should've seen this shit coming.

Here:

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/7/1/135138/3573

 

[Epicurus]

Worthless politician scum.