June 24, 201313 yr Rand Paul: Drug war targets minorities Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and I have co-sponsored legislation that would effectively get rid of mandatory minimum sentencing. Due to mandatory minimums, many non-violent drug offenders have been imprisoned alongside rapists and murderers — often for sentences longer than rapists and murders. Many people's lives have been damaged or ruined for making one mistake, usually while these people are still young and more prone to make mistakes. Mandatory minimums most harm those lacking in the means to defend themselves. These laws disproportionately target the poor and minorities. Getting rid of mandatory minimums simply means allowing judges to use their discretion in sentencing, rather than having to follow the current, draconian federal parameters that are totally detached from the very human situation at hand. Similarly, why do we have a system that encourages police officers to arrest people against their better judgment as a revenue incentive? Why don't we allow local enforcement and courts to deal with these crimes on a case-by-case basis, without federal incentives to incarcerate more people?
June 24, 201313 yr Everything I read from Senator Paul makes me like him more and more. I really hope he decides to run in 2016, and that people (from both sides of the political spectrum) give him a serious look. Guy uses common sense more than any other politician out there.
June 24, 201313 yr Author He has been written off already by one side and the other side can't decide if they want to try to marginalize him or get behind him.
June 24, 201313 yr The continued prosecution of minor drug possession and usage is not fiscally feasible. We are filling up our penal system with nonviolent offenders which does nothing but cost money and destroy lives. I would like to go even further and make personal drug possession and usage decriminalized.
June 24, 201313 yr The fact that Sen. Paul and I completely agree on so many things and absolutely disagree on so many others has the strange effect of giving me hope for American politics.
June 24, 201313 yr Author The continued prosecution of minor drug possession and usage is not fiscally feasible. We are filling up our penal system with nonviolent offenders which does nothing but cost money and destroy lives. I would like to go even further and make personal drug possession and usage decriminalized. All Drugs? Is that what your saying? Or are you just talking Herb?
June 24, 201313 yr The continued prosecution of minor drug possession and usage is not fiscally feasible. We are filling up our penal system with nonviolent offenders which does nothing but cost money and destroy lives. I would like to go even further and make personal drug possession and usage decriminalized. Hear, hear.
June 24, 201313 yr All Drugs? Is that what your saying? Or are you just talking Herb? If we can somehow eliminate the mandate for treatment at Emergency Treatment Centers, all drugs yes. Its time to admit the war on drugs is a failure and start commercializing pot production. Morally, I don't distinguish between alcohol and pot consumption. That is the frontier for new tax revenue that is current being accumulated on the black market.
June 24, 201313 yr Author If we can somehow eliminate the mandate for treatment at Emergency Treatment Centers, all drugs yes. Its time to admit the war on drugs is a failure and start commercializing pot production. Morally, I don't distinguish between alcohol and pot consumption. That is the frontier for new tax revenue that is current being accumulated on the black market.So if you go into an emergency room, the hospital should have the option of turning you away? I don't see a huge difference between pot and alcohol either, but your up for legalizing Meth, Crack, Heroin, Ocy and others without a prescription?
June 25, 201313 yr Making.....too.....much....sense...... Randy is a conundrum. Things like this make complete sense.
June 25, 201313 yr The continued prosecution of minor drug possession and usage is not fiscally feasible. We are filling up our penal system with nonviolent offenders which does nothing but cost money and destroy lives. When you privatize so much of the prison system as the U.S. has done those prison companies have to have bodies in cells to make money. That's why the drug laws are slow to change.
June 26, 201313 yr Author I agree that mandatory minimums on victimless crimes (is any crime really victimless) should be eliminated. I would much prefer stiffer sentencing on the by product of drug use, Theft, Robbery and Burglary. I see people in court that got caught in the act stealing $100's or even $1000's of property (to fuel their drug addiction) and they get a slap on the wrist (30 days suspended for 12 months) due to it being a property crime. There is no incentive to quit stealing because until they get caught a 3rd, 4th or 5th time they are not looking at any jail time.
June 26, 201313 yr The fact the you can rape someone and get less time for some drug possession charges baffles me to this day.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.