New Drug War Proposal

[13788]

carolinacurious: Sensenbrenner, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman MUST GO!

This is beyond outrageous.

http://www.alternet.org/story/22048/

Neighbors spying on neighbors? Mothers forced to turn in their sons or daughters? These are images straight out of George Orwell's 1984, or a remote totalitarian state. We don't associate them with the land of the free and the home of the brave, but that doesn't mean they couldn't happen here. A senior congressman, James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), is working quietly but efficiently to turn the entire United States population into informants--by force.

Sensenbrenner, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, has introduced legislation that would essentially draft every American into the war on drugs. H.R. 1528, cynically named "Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act," would compel people to spy on their family members and neighbors, and even go undercover and wear a wire if needed. If a person resisted, he or she would face mandatory incarceration.

Here's how the "spy" section of the legislation works: If you "witness" certain drug offenses taking place or "learn" about them, you must report the offenses to law enforcement within 24 hours and provide "full assistance in the investigation, apprehension and prosecution" of the people involved. Failure to do so would be a crime punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year prison sentence, and a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Think Alternet is (or I am) too liberal, fine, here:

go here: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c109query.html

and then type in "h.r. 1528" in the top search box.

`SEC. 425. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person who witnesses or learns of a violation of sections 416(B)(2), 417, 418, 419, 420, 424, or 426 to fail to report the offense to law enforcement officials within 24 hours of witnessing or learning of the violation and thereafter provide full assistance in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the person violating paragraph (a).

`(B) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section shall be sentenced to not less than two years or more than 10 years. If the person who witnesses or learns of the violation is the parent or guardian, or otherwise responsible for the care or supervision of the person under the age of 18 or the incompetent person, such person shall be sentenced to not less than three years or more than 20 years.'.

 

[jay_too]

What would you expect from the ilk of Tom DeLay and the House leadership? ** excuse me, I had to go puke. **

On second thought, it is such a bad idea that I like it. Why? This is the kind of arrogance that preceeds the fall.

I think these goofballs are trying to reaffirm Machavelli's maxim, "Power corrupts, and total power corrupts totally."

jay

 

[Dr Rock]

I heard about this a couple of weeks ago. sensenbrenner is not only a lunatic, he's also unbelievably stupid if he believes this legislation is gonna make a rat turd's worth of difference to drug use, let alone the drug trade. nobody's gonna turn in their friends or family for using drugs (unless they're as nutty as sensenbrenner himself), and nobody else is gonna care enough to bother. what a twit.

 

[Supportive Female]

...And I thought all the East German Stasi were dead...

 

[Freddie53]

This proposed bill is about as dumbass as it can get. The Republican Party is supposed to be about states rights and then the Republicans get a marjority of the Congress and now they want to make laws about powers reserved to the states become powers that that the federal government it directly involved.

Reminds me of stories of McCarthy the last time the Republicans were in charge of things in Washington.

Rape a child and get your hand slapped. Do a little drugs and go to jail forever. Nice American justice there.

Jana is gone so this quote is for her since she is not posting today.

This guy is a fucking bastard who is playing on the sympathies of scared people who don't realize that it is THEIR grandchildren who are using the drugs.

*JANA, let me know how I did filling in for you today when you return*

 

[Dr Rock]

my mother smokes pcp and calls me a moron.

 

[jonb]

Of course, nobody ever stops the cops or the CIA from selling drugs.

 

[DC_DEEP]

What really surprises me is that this surprises anyone. Folks, we do NOT have a benevolent government.

 

[D_Humper E Bogart]

Us foreigners have known that for....well longer than my Father has existed!

 

[Dr Rock]

Originally posted by ORCABOMBER@May 24 2005, 10:41 PM
Us foreigners have known that for....well longer than my Father has existed!

[post=314341]Quoted post[/post]​

unfortunately, it seems that few of "us foreigners" have noticed that we don't have a benevolent government either...

 

[DC_DEEP]

Originally posted by Dr Rock+May 24 2005, 09:41 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr Rock &#064; May 24 2005, 09:41 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-ORCABOMBER@May 24 2005, 10:41 PM
Us foreigners have known that for....well longer than my Father has existed&#33;

[post=314341]Quoted post[/post]​

unfortunately, it seems that few of "us foreigners" have noticed that we don&#39;t have a benevolent government either...

[post=314379]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]
Unfortunately, and obviously, the majority of citizens, regardless of the country, seem to think "Well, this guy has some serious problems, but he&#39;s better than the other ones." If more independent-thinking, intelligent voters would simply decide "no more&#33;" and stick to it, and DEMAND accountability from their government, things would get better. I realize it is simply too idealistic to imagine that one person can satisfy every constituent, politically. It is, though, realistic to resolve not to re-elect any politician who makes campaign lies, resorts to mud-slinging campaigns, or disregards the tenets of the laws they are sworn to uphold (in my case, that would be anyone in our House or Senate who voted for any of the statutes which defy the Constitution.)

I haven&#39;t found anyone yet who agrees with me, but I think that any political representative who violates a law he supported should receive double the standard punishment, plus permanent bar from holding public office. For instance, a Congressman who votes for "tougher drunk-driving laws," and is then arrested for DUI, or one who votes against equality for homosexuals and is then found to have a same-sex partner or paramour.

A further incentive to politicians would be that they have to live under the same rules they make for us - the same minimum wage for freshmen senators & representatives, reliance upon the same Social Security as every other American instead of their own plan... the list goes on and on.

 

[jonb]

Originally posted by ORCABOMBER@May 24 2005, 02:41 PM
Us foreigners have known that for....well longer than my Father has existed&#33;

[post=314341]Quoted post[/post]​

So have Indians. Of course, this is what happens when people vote based on what their minister tells them.