November 21, 2008
War On Drugs Department
Jim Ramstad as Drug Czar?
I've been avoiding commenting on Obama's rumored picks for his administration. I figure there's no point speculating how bad they might be when in a few months we'll know for sure how bad they are. However, I really have to say something about the rumors he wants to put Jim Ramstad in as Drug Czar.
Actually, I'll let Maia Szalavitz say it:
There is one issue that has consistently separated those who put science and saving lives in front of politics. That is needle exchange programs for addicts to prevent the spread of HIV and other blood borne illnesses.
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Needle exchanges have been shown repeatedly to reduce HIV and contrary to the claims of opponents, they help addicts get into treatment.
But Bill Clinton had a drug czar -- Barry McCaffrey -- who said that needle exchange "sent the wrong message," and would make him seem soft on drugs. McCaffrey fought against it and Clinton now says he "regrets" caving in to drug war politics.
While Obama has said that he favors federal funding, the last thing we need is another drug czar to talk him out of it.
Ramstad looks like that person...In 1992, he said, "Federal funds should be used to get people off drugs not facilitate drug abuse...let's support programs that save lives, not destroy lives." By then, dozens of studies from around the world already suggested that clean needle programs not only reduce HIV, but attract addicts into recovery.
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In 1999 -- with the data now overwhelming -- Ramstad voted to prevent Washington DC from using its own money to fund syringe exchange.
Ramstad is also on the record opposing medical marijuana programs.
In both cases, Obama has indicated he opposes Ramstad's former positions. He's talked about lifting the needle ban and about stopping federal raids of medical marijuana providers. I suppose it's possible that Ramstad changed his mind or is willing to implement policies for Obama that he doesn't agree with.
But then what are we to make of Obama's choice of Eric Holder for Attorney General? Jacob Sullum tells us that
Barack Obama's selection of Eric Holder as his attorney general is a very discouraging sign for anyone who hoped the new administration would de-escalate the war on drugs. ...Holder pushed for stiffer marijuana penalties when he was the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and the details are strikingly at odds not only with Obama's signals regarding marijuana but with his opposition to long sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. According to a December 1996 report in The Washington Times...Holder wanted "minimum sentences of 18 months for first-time convicted drug dealers, 36 months for the second time and 72 months for every conviction thereafter." He also wanted to "make the penalty for distribution and possession with intent to distribute marijuana a felony, punishable with up to a five-year sentence." The D.C. Council made the latter Holder-endorsed change in 2000. Holder thought New York City's irrational, unjust crackdown on pot smokers was a fine idea and worth emulating, saying "we have too long taken the view that what we would term to be minor crimes are not important."
(Joel, if you're reading, Holder's also awful on guns.)
I suppose it's possible he's changed his mind or is willing to implement alternative policies, but can we really believe that two stern drug warriors---Holder and now Ramstad---have both had changes of heart? Are we to hope that Obama will stick to his stated plans to scale back drug war excesses despite these two picks and despite the drug-warrior credentials of runningmate Joe Biden and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?
That's a lot to hope for.
Update: While I'm at it, Eric Holder's not so good on the First Amendment either.
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Yeah, I know about Holder. Yucko.
As to drug warriors, there's worse than the Rammer, though. And, odds are, Obama will probably end up nominating one.
In many ways, Obama's administration will be much worse than his predecessors. Barack Obama has many deficiencies, but none come near to his misunderstanding of the drug war. In the 21st century, the drug war has become a serious healthcare issue. Today's targets are those with legitimate medical disorders requiring a controlled substance for treatment. Because physicians want to protect themselves, those of us with chronic medical disorders have become disabled. The war on drugs is causeing a regression in healthcare that has already caused the US to plunge down the ranks to #55 in the world in terms of quality healthcare. Perhaps the most famous case of this type is that of Richard Paey who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for possession of a Schedule II substance that was legally prescribe for his crippled back. After 3.5 years, the governor of Florida, commutted his sentence.
The war on drugs (WOD) is destroying our nation. The general public needs to realize that in a world of cradle-to-grave electronic medical records (EMRs), the career of a 16-year old can be severly limited if a physician indicates suspicion of drugs... even if the youth is asking a question. So far, the WOD has been responsible for exacerbating ignorance and fear, leading to an increase in the number of drug war casualties.
There is only one hope for our nation and that is education, Drug Use Education (DUE). If we cannot change the attitudes towards drugs in our government, then our nation is in a serious crisis. We cannot continue to support the drug war. It isn't even the cost of the war; it's the immorality and unethical treatment of patients that is now a major concern. It's unfortunate that our politicians are blind to all this.
In January 2006 -- 34.5 years into the drug war costing nearly $2 trillion, with 30% of the prison population comprised of non-violent drug law offenders -- Congress stated: "Too litttle is known about drug abuse, especially the causes, ways to treat and prevent drug abuse."
If our Senators and Congressmen know too little about drug abuse, then how much sense does it make to fight a war over it? Clearly there is not. If you want to discover why, please visit my website at www.DrugUseEducation.org.
We don't need a drug war that will weaken America. We need an educational program that will strengthen our knowledge and our nation. We need a prevention program that works. But the most important need we have is setting the stage for success rather than as we have been, setting the stage for failure.
DOES SOMEONE FROM THE OBAMA CAMP HEAR ME?
THIS IS NOT CHANGE!
THIS IS MORE OF THE SAME!