McCain Latest Candidate to Spout Nonsense on Drug War
Saturday, August 18, 2007 at 09:55AM Libertarians often complain that important issues are not covered by mainstream media outlets. I complain about this myself from time to time. It's easy to just say there's a vast conspiracy and leave it at that.
But who really decides what issues are most important?
I've been attending several presidential candidate forums in recent months. I always see lots of local and state media in the room, and probably some national media. What happens at these events?
Citizens ask questions. Presumably, they ask about the issues they feel are important. And not surprisingly, those questions tend to be about the War in Iraq, health care, immigration, and the handful of other issues we see on TV all the time.
If I was a young reporter on the campaign trail, I might think those are the only issues worth covering as well. If anything else mattered, wouldn't somebody turn up and ask about it?
So that's what I've been doing lately. In particular, I've been asking questions about drug and marijuana policy. This might make me somewhat unpopular because, as Americans, we have been conditioned to believe that drug and marijuana policy reformers simply want to promote drug and marijuana use. We're accused of "sending the wrong message" to kids.
Folks, I think if you read my most recent article for SendTheRightMessage.com, you'll see that just isn't the case.
The article details my recent encounter with Senator John McCain, the latest candidate to demonstrate his lack of knowledge and understanding of the failed War on Drugs. (Perhaps my fellow blogger Mr. Jarvis has a different opinion?)
But back to what I said at the top, drug and marijuana policy reform isn't just a liberty issue. It's an issue for every American who wants to reduce violent crime, police corruption, wasteful spending, and other ill-effects of a failed policy.
I don't have all the answers, but I do know our current approach is a dismal failure and we need to start talking (not just whispering) about reform. Can we start talking now?
Reader Comments (7)
I think you have some valid points. I think McCain's position is simple and a lot of people agree. He believes that marijuana is a gateway drug.
I agreed with him about tightening the borders and the guest worker program helping the situation. I agreed with him that heroin and cocain are dangerous. I don't agree with him that marijuana is a gateway drug but since I never used it I just don't know.
You do make valid points. I don't have a problem with medicinal marijuana. I do think border control is important and essentially at the end of the day we have value decisions that are being made badly. That is something that will need to be addressed more seriously.
I understand your frustration and suggest you keep fighting for what you believe in. Maybe you will change my mind and politicians like McCain. I am always open to learning more and I know he is as well.
Dave
Thanks for the comment. I don't think McCain will ever change his mind, but I appreciate your willingness to think this one through.
Matt
Good reporting. Getting three candidates on record is not easy.
Republicans have always had a law and order mentality about drugs. Obviously they are no where near backing off.
During the seventies many of us believed that Marijuana would be legalized if Jimmy Carter got a second term.
Then Reagan was elected and named VP George HW Bush as drug tzar. The Vice President and Reagan made a huge show of shutting down the marijuana smuggling from Columbia to the US. At the time smuggling was done by ships. Marijuana is very bulky and very smelly and the industry wasn't all that hard to shut down,
It was immediately replaced by the cocaine business, which was run by very violent people. Cocaine is easy to smuggle and caused more misery than the plague over the next thirty years. The crack epidemic of the late eighties and nineties was a tragedy for the entire east coast. Crime rates soared.
Republicans hate to face that history and I'm sure never will.
Thanks for the comment. There have been Republican dissenters over the years (Milton Friedman explained that crack would never have been invented if it wasn't for the Drug War), but their voices have always been drowned out by the law and order types.
Unfortunately, plenty of Democrats are just as bad on drug policy. This is going to be a long and difficult campaign to reeducate people, and it's tough going up against decades of taxpayer-funded propaganda when you run on less than a shoestring budget, but we're putting one foot in front of the other.
We got Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee on camera Saturday -- articles coming soon.
Matt
Let's make a deal. If you write anything innovative, courageous, with any kind of unique theme I will stop posting any more than one blog per day.
Sound fair to you?
And no, Nancy Pelosi is not a unique idea...and woops, Carol Shea-Porter isn't either. You might have to think on this one.