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RSS icon Comments on Winning the War on Drugs

1

Very well said. Fwd'ing this link on.

Posted by mackro mackro | April 9, 2008 12:29 PM
2

"Is raiding a private residence with guns drawn an acceptable way to enforce suspected nonviolent drug-law violations?"

No.

Posted by Hernandez | April 9, 2008 12:58 PM
3

Sad.

Very sad.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 9, 2008 1:00 PM
4

Yes! We need to stop the creeping militarization of our police forces. SWAT-style enforcement of non-violent drug crimes is a travesty created by bureaucracy wanting to expand their budgets and get better toys, the dehumanizing of drug criminals, and a media frenzy of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Posted by NaFun | April 9, 2008 1:01 PM
5

If sellimg drugs is such a "non-violent" crime, how come they always find a stash of guns in these raids?

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty | April 9, 2008 1:33 PM
6

@5: That have to have some reason to have opened fire don't they?

Posted by Jerod | April 9, 2008 1:37 PM
7

@5 - Save the stump speech for Charlton Heston's memorial service, dude.

Posted by Hernandez | April 9, 2008 1:41 PM
8

@4:

Good point. With all the lucre local LEA's take in from drug raids, and subsequent confiscation of assets, they nevertheless feel compelled to justify their massive expenditures on body-armour, high-powered assault weapons, sophisticated communications gear, et al, to the public, which generally means putting the afore-mentioned goodies on public display once-in-awhile.

These types of high-profile COPS-style raids are, from the LEA's standpoint, ideal opportunities to show off all their flashy hardware, while at the same time generating additional press coverage (quiet arrests of alleged perps not generating quite the same level of media attention as does a dozen SWAT team members in full regalia bashing down a tenement door), which in turn continues to feed the public "hysteria" over drug crimes, which in turn creates a vicious cycle of escalating violence all around; dealers and manufacturers feel compelled to arm-up in response to the increased likelihood of defending themselves against a literal army coming through their doors, which in turn gives the cops even more excuse to continually upgrade their own arsenals.

And of course the public sees all this and naturally comes to the conclusion that there's some sort of war between the cops and the druggies going down on the street, which is probably true, but it begs the question of whether, if LEA's used less violent means for taking down perps in the first place, would such an escalation even occur at all?

Posted by COMTE | April 9, 2008 2:13 PM
9

@5

Aren't you the gun rights guy? So what if there's a stash of guns, that doesn't automatically make the person violent, does it? Other than, you know, when people charge into their house with no warning.

Posted by NaFun | April 9, 2008 3:04 PM
10

What exactly is involved in a no-knock raid? By the sound of it I assume no announcement is given whatsoever until the door is taken down. I must say if I had a gun on me I'd sure as hell draw it when someone kicked my door in. I wonder how much of a chance he was given to drop it?

I do like to give the police the benefit of the doubt but things like this always look like incredibly dumb ideas in hindsight.

Posted by Sven | April 9, 2008 10:44 PM
11

I seriously disagree with your ideas on drug rehabilitation and the idea that the state has any right to bring the force of law into controling drug "abuse". I think the idea of rehabilitation is fundamentally wrong, not as bad as incarceration for drug "offences" but still wrong.

But, at the same time, I appreciate what you do with collecting the drug-war news. I look forward to the week on drugs and your "winning the war on drugs" posts as much as Savage posts.

I'm high as a kite on completely legal whiskey right now and I hope someday all your preferred highs will be as legal.

And maybe when I'm sober, I can tell you about the problems I have with the idea of rehabilitation.

Posted by Luke Baggins | April 10, 2008 10:36 PM
12

Was this killing justified no they killed him in his house I do't sell drugs but i have a gun and if you kick y door in i will try my best to make sure you don't kick another one in.?why didm't they just knock on the door like they did the first time when they brought the drugs from him seems easier he would've been arrested not killed end of story.I hope those 2 cops that are responsible burn in hell for what they did.God will deal with them in his own special way i just wish i could see how

Posted by drell | April 11, 2008 3:59 PM

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