But the Mexican War on Drugs is an actual armed conflict that involves murder and corruption. The New York Times recently highlighted the issue in a multimedia video addressing the Mexican trade of drugs and its relationship with the
In an introduction graphic explaining the issue through a helpful diagram: American buy drugs like heroin, marijuana and cocaine sold by Mexicans (demand), Mexican supply the drugs, Mexican Cartel buy American guns from Border States because their gun laws are more relaxed, Cartel bribe low and high level American officials in order for product to be brought into the United States.
The narrator succinctly describes the issue by explaining the steps of the trade, including statistical information including:
- Americans spend an estimated $64 billion on illegal drugs
- 6,200 murders were linked to the Mexican drug trade last year
- In the past seven years over 100,000 Mexican soldiers have quit the army to join the Cartels
The story is broken up into three segments describing the types of drugs brought to the US, the gun trade from the US to Mexican Cartel, corruption and bribing that is involved in the trade process among American officials, the violence that is occurring in the conflict, and how this Mexican conflict is spilling over onto American soil.
Ultimately the story alludes that this conflict is ultimately fueled by the American consumption of illegal drugs. This multimedia story links to several other articles including a story profiling Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addressing that the need for public drug policy involving Americans to “Just say no,” to drugs.
One need not travel to China to find indigenous cultures lacking human rights or to Cuba for political prisoners. America leads the world in percentile behind bars, thanks to ongoing persecution of hippies, radicals, and non-whites under banner of the war on drugs. If we’re all about spreading liberty abroad, then why mix the message at home? Peace on the home front would enhance global credibility.
ReplyDeleteThe drug czar’s Rx for prison fodder costs dearly, as life is flushed down expensive tubes. My shaman’s second opinion is that psychoactive plants are God’s gift. Behold, it’s all good. Canadian Marc Emery sold seeds that enable American farmers to outcompete cartels with superior local herb. He’s being extradited to prison, for doing what government can’t do, reduce U.S. demand for Mexican.
Only on the authority of a clause about interstate commerce does the CSA (Controlled Substances Act of 1970) reincarnate Al Capone, endanger homeland security, and throw good money after bad. Administration policy burns tax dollars to root out the number-one cash crop in the land, instead of taxing sales. America rejected the plague of prohibition, but it mutated. Apparently, SWAT teams don’t need no stinking amendment. Father, forgive those who make it their business to know not what they do.
Nixon passed the CSA on the assurance that the Schafer Commission would justify criminalizing his enemies, but it didn’t. No amendments can assure due process under an anti-science law without due process itself. Psychology hailed the breakthrough potential of LSD, until the CSA shut down research and pronounced that marijuana has no medical use, period.
The RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993) allows Native American Church members to eat peyote, which functions like LSD. Americans shouldn’t need a specific church membership or an act of Congress to obtain their birthright freedom of religion. Denial of entheogen sacrament to any American, for mediation of communion with his or her maker, precludes his or her free exercise of religious liberty.
Freedom of speech presupposes freedom of thought. The Constitution doesn’t enumerate any governmental power to embargo diverse states of mind. How and when did government usurp this power to coerce conformity? The Mayflower sailed to escape coerced conformity. Legislators who would limit cognitive liberty lack jurisdiction.
Common-law must hold that adults are the legal owners of their own bodies. The Founding Fathers undersigned that the right to the pursuit of happiness is inalienable. Socrates said to know your self. Mortal lawmakers should not presume to thwart the intelligent design that molecular keys unlock spiritual doors. Persons who appreciate their own free choice of path in life should tolerate seekers’ self-exploration.