Democrats Unveil Bill to Decriminalize Drug Possession at Federal Level, Expunge Records

[neurosis]

https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-unveil-bill-decriminalize-drug-possession-federal-level-expunge-records-1600839">https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-unve ... ds-1600839">https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-unveil-bill-decriminalize-drug-possession-federal-level-expunge-records-1600839

I'm not sure how I feel about the heroin and cocaine aspect of this?  

A bill to end criminal penalties for drug possession at the federal level was unveiled by Democrats on Tuesday, ahead of the 50th anniversary when President Richard Nixon declared the "war on drugs."

The Drug Policy Reform Act (DPRA) would decriminalize personal use possession of all scheduled drugs—including marijuana, heroin and cocaine—and automatically expunge records and provide for resentencing for those serving time for certain drug-related arrests. It would also prohibit the denial of employment, immigration status, public benefits, voting rights, and more based upon a criminal history for drug possession.

[Matthew Hajicek]

About a century ago it was understood that for the government to prohibit you from possessing or consuming a substance required a constitutional amendment.  After said amendment was repealed, they just went ahead and banned whatever they wanted, without the legitimate authority to do so.

[mkd]

[quote="Matthew Hajicek" post_id=12428 time=1623800321 user_id=57]
About a century ago it was understood that for the government to prohibit you from possessing or consuming a substance required a constitutional amendment.  After said amendment was repealed, they just went ahead and banned whatever they wanted, without the legitimate authority to do so.
[/quote]
YUP!!!
 they have no authority in the first place.

[TylerBeer]

Go after the people that spread disease, not those that get sick

[Rstewart]

Go after the people that spread disease, not those that get sick

What?

[neurosis]

I think that was his fancy way of saying go after the dealers, not the addicts.

[mkd]

I think that was his fancy way of saying go after the dealers, not the addicts.

Naw, he was advising to bomb Wuhan.
yep, that's how i read it.

[RobertELee]

I think that was his fancy way of saying go after the dealers, not the addicts.

Naw, he was advising to bomb Wuhan.
yep, that's how i read it.

I read it as 'Kill Fauci'

[YoDoug]

Here in MN the Republicans in the senate have chosen Legal Marijuana as their "hill to die on". They will deal and cave on any other stupid issue the Dems put forth, but for some reason they will rally the troops and fight to end to stop legal marijuana. I don't get why that issue is such a hot issue for them. In many ways it feels like the R leadership in MN is stuck in the past.

[TylerBeer]

I think that was his fancy way of saying go after the dealers, not the addicts.

Naw, he was advising to bomb Wuhan.
yep, that's how i read it.

I read it as 'Kill Fauci'

It would be kill anti vaxxers if anything direct

[TylerBeer]

Here in MN the Republicans in the senate have chosen Legal Marijuana as their "hill to die on". They will deal and cave on any other stupid issue the Dems put forth, but for some reason they will rally the troops and fight to end to stop legal marijuana. I don't get why that issue is such a hot issue for them. In many ways it feels like the R leadership in MN is stuck in the past.

Pearl clutching squares

[Matthew Hajicek]

The war on drugs has been the primary cause of the loss of freedoms and rights in this country over the last 50 years.

[YoDoug]

[quote="Matthew Hajicek" post_id=12463 time=1623858100 user_id=57]
The war on drugs has been the primary cause of the loss of freedoms and rights in this country over the last 50 years.
[/quote]

I would say it is one of a few causes of the loss of freedom. The socialist indoctrination of public school systems has raised a couple generations to value their sense of security (safety net) over freedom. The highly partisan political divide makes people choose the lesser of two evils, often at the loss of personal freedom. Unchecked greed of capitalism means more people in poverty that will give up their freedoms for empty promises. The unchecked policing and justice system, etc.

[pmartin]

[quote="Matthew Hajicek" post_id=12463 time=1623858100 user_id=57]
The war on drugs has been the primary cause of the loss of freedoms and rights in this country over the last 50 years.

I would say it is one of a few causes of the loss of freedom. The socialist indoctrination of public school systems has raised a couple generations to value their sense of security (safety net) over freedom. The highly partisan political divide makes people choose the lesser of two evils, often at the loss of personal freedom. Unchecked greed of capitalism means more people in poverty that will give up their freedoms for empty promises. The unchecked policing and justice system, etc.
[/quote]

That's all fine and well till you take a slightly larger look at it.

I remember quite clearly how the Republican's in charge following 9/11 used the threat of Iran to push forward the greatest modern expansion of government with a host of far reaching laws designed to limit the freedoms of Americans. All in the name of security.

[neurosis]

The socialist indoctrination of public school systems has raised a couple generations to value their sense of security (safety net) over freedom. The highly partisan political divide makes people choose the lesser of two evils, often at the loss of personal freedom. Unchecked greed of capitalism means more people in poverty that will give up their freedoms for empty promises. The unchecked policing and justice system, etc.

It's not too difficult to see how they could be convinced to want to take that point of least resistance.  

The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in the area that I live in is $1500 a month right now. That means that if you want to move out and get your own place, $9 an hour of your salary goes to nothing but rent.  It gets worse the closer you get to Seattle.

That's just one piece of that puzzle. If someone was pointing that out to me every day I'd probably be freaked out as a young adult too.