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September 22, 2011
Hoping (perhaps foolishly, yet again) latest GOP debate addresses crime and punishment
As reported in this FoxNews piece, tonight's GOP debate is sponsored in part by Google and "more than 18,000 questions and 100,000 votes have been offered via text and videos on YouTube." A quick poke around this website reveals that more than a few folks have posed questions about legalizing marijuana, and I also found these interesting questions posed about incarceration policies and the drug war:
Instead of putting our tax dollars into prisons, why not put them into rehabilitation centers for those who get caught with drug possessions?
America has the largest prison population per capita of any country in the world. Do you believe that we are arresting too many people?
Would you back a law to make prison time mandatory for anyone that employs illegal aliens, no exceptions?
The Federal Government spends $500 per second on the war on drugs, adding to the 90% of federal prisoners incarcerated for non-violent crimes. This is overshadowed by the cost of The War on Terror. As President, would you let these costly wars go on?
What will it take to end, in a timely decisive manner, the Global Drug War; a scheme of American Prohibition and world-wide U.S. Imperialism, that funds not only domestic violence and international terrorism, but also the Prison-Industrial Complex?
I am not especially confident that any of these questions will get posed tonight or at any of the forthcoming GOP debates, but I will continue hoping these issues might eventually get some attention at some point in this political/election cycle.
Some recent and older related posts:
- Will tonight's Tea Party GOP Debate discuss costly government programs like the drug war and mass incarceration?
- Ron Paul and Barney Frank introduce bill to let states set pot policy
- Might GOP start debating Texas crime and punishment with Rick Perry in the 2012 race?
- Rick Perry's death penalty record already a topic of press coverage inside the Beltway
- Will the death penalty come up in tonight's big GOP presidential candidate debate?
- "Perry draws applause in defending death penalty, hasn’t struggled over questions of innocence"
- Path started to place pot legalization on Colorado ballot in 2012
- Why pot legalization fans are likely to try again in 2012
- Effective commentary concerning political discussion of pot policy and the drug war
- Big international report calling global drug war a failure
- "Would Legalizing Marijuana Cut Law Enforcement Costs?"
- "Tea Party = Pot Party?"
- Might Sarah Palin's sensible points about pot get Tea Party types to push for sensible drug reforms?
- Thoughtful academic thoughts on ending marijuana prohibitions
- Green tea party: will Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin or other professed liberty lovers support ending pot prohibition in California?
September 22, 2011 at 04:38 PM | Permalink
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Comments
'I will continue hoping these issues might eventually get some attention at some point in this political/election cycle.'
Agree, but unfortunately probably not in our lifetimes.
Posted by: james | Sep 22, 2011 4:54:11 PM
Just Another ....
Q.1 Instead of ... tax dollars into prisons, why not ... rehabilitation centers for those ... caught with drug possessions?
A.1 Simple possession and non-addictive use needs no rehab. IF addictive use, THEN rehab. Trafficking ? Night & Fog. Use proper Risk:Reward Ratio to discourage hurting others.
Q.2 America has the largest prison population per capita of any country in the world. Do you believe that we are arresting too many people?
A.2a We are confining too many for too long for the wrong reasons.
A.2b Were I to sucker punch someone in the Arena District, causing them to fall, strike head then die; 60 days jail, probation, community service, told that such conduct is unkind and not to do that in future.
A.2c Were I ever so gently to erotically nibble on the earlobe, behind the ear, base of neck, etc., of an age 17 year 11 month grandchild (with an I.Q. of 130, fluent in modern AND classical Greek, English, French and Chinese, performing college level research on Sexuality of the 21st Century adolescent v. the early 20th Century adolescent) AT THE GRANDCHILD'S REQUEST, then decades of imprisonment.
A.2d Elwood, age 16.5y and Maude, age 18.5y have engaged in consensual monogamous coitus for 6.5 YEARS (his age 10, her age 12) and were never "caught" until a fortnight ago. Oh, the humanity - imprison her, force her to register as a sex offender, to paint SO in bold red letters on all vehicles she owns or leases, etc.
A.2e Succinctly, YES.
Q.3 Would you back a law to make prison time mandatory for anyone that employs illegal aliens, no exceptions?
A.3a No exceptions? No. It's too easy to counterfeit documents to mislead an employer who thoroughly checks foreign nationals for employment eligibility.
A.3b Negligently or recklessly? YES
Q.4 The Federal Government spends $500 per second on the war on drugs, adding to the 90% of federal prisoners incarcerated for non-violent crimes. This is overshadowed by the cost of The War on Terror. As President, would you let these costly wars go on?
A.4 No.
Q.5 What will it take to end, in a timely decisive manner, the Global Drug War; a scheme of American Prohibition and world-wide U.S. Imperialism, that funds not only domestic violence and international terrorism, but also the Prison-Industrial Complex?
A.5 :-) Several properly made and sharpened Samurai swords handled by a properly trained swords person. :-)
Relax Homeland, I'm kidding with A.5, though you must admit that it WOULD work!
Posted by: JAG | Sep 24, 2011 8:13:49 AM
