ayoung19ahsgov-blog

[ayoung19ahsgov-blog]

Blog post #9

Works Cited

Shultz, George P., and Pedro Aspe. “The Failed War on Drugs.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2017/12/31/opinion/failed-war-on-drugs.html.

“JOHN STOSSEL: End the Drug War, Save Black America.” Fox News, FOX News Network, www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/03/16/john-stossel-end-drug-war-save-black-america.html.

Pearl, Betsy, and Maritza Perez. “Ending the War on Drugs.” Center for American Progress, www.americanprogress.org/issues/criminal-justice/reports/2018/06/27/452786/ending-war-drugs/.

“European Drug Report 2015.” EMCDDA | Cannabis Profile (Chemistry, Effects, Mode of Use, Pharmacology, Medical Use, Control Status), www.emcdda.europa.eu/edr2015.

“Time to Declare Peace in the Worlds Longest Running War « DrugSense Drug Policy Reform Blog.” DrugSense Drug Policy Reform Blog, druglawreform.com/time-to-declare-peace-in-the-worlds-longest-running-war/.

“Drug War Clock.” Drug War Clock | DrugSense, www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock.

“Criminal Justice Fact Sheet.” NAACP, www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Trends & Statistics.” NIDA, 24 Apr. 2017, www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics.

Thomas, Scot. “Statistics on Drug Addiction.” American Addiction Centers, americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics.

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Civic Action Assessment of Issue

1. Citizens in our country have an opportunity to stimulate growth in our communities. However, this opportunity only exists because of the rights our community grants individuals. In order to preserve the beliefs that have led to the creation of these rights, citizens must help the community as the community has helped them.

2. When I first entered this class, I looked at any type of civic action as additional. In my mind, anybody who helped their community was performing an act of great charity. Since experiencing this class, I have learned that civic engagement is just paying back the debt you owe to the country that has fostered your prosperity.

3. As a whole country, we must properly prioritize what issues we need to fix. I feel my civic action issue is a clear and growing injustice in our country, that government officials have failed to directly address and/or take steps to remedy. The responsibility than falls on the citizens to promote real change in our system.

4. In February, I plan to visit the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals with my government class. This court directly relates to my issue considering, much like the court, my issue is based entirely around the prosecution and sentencing of individuals.

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Executive Action Assessment of Issue

1. President Trump seems to have a pretty strict anti-drug stance. There is no mention of improving sentences or persecution of non-violent drug offenders. However, there is a main tab dedicated to fighting the opioid crisis without  much scrutiny. Even risking prescription drugs in the pursuit.

2. Disagree, the approach is not nuanced or specific to the individual substances used.

3. Department of justice

4. The Department of Justice enforces federal laws, seeks just punishment for the guilty, and ensures the fair and impartial administration of justice

5. The current acting Attorney General is Matthew Whitaker. They are currently filling in for Jeff Sessions who recently left the position. Jeff Sessions was not an experienced judge and was simply a political appointment that did not work out.

6. The department has specific programs to address my issue including the DEA and Bureau of Prisons. The DEA, being the main US force behind illegal drug prevention. Bureau of Prisons addressing how many people are currently incarcerated.

7. I believe the department and Trump are using the proper means to address my issue. Specific organizations such as the DEA serve to show that they acknowledge the issue. However, I do not agree in how they are addressing my issue and believe these organizations are regressing policies on drugs, not preventing the issue. 

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Legislative Action

1.

a. Mark  DeSaulnier believes mass incarceration is an issue that deserves legislation to be fixed.Dianne Feinstein has done her part in the war in drugs focusing on drugs crossing the border from Mexico. Kamala Harris states outright that she believes the War on Drugs has failed an perpetuated racial discrimination.

b. DeSaulnier: Reverse Mass Incarceration act. Feinstein: from 2014 - 2015 sponsored 7 bills against drugs. Harris: most notably a bill to reverse federal prohibition of marijuana.

2.

a.There are 13 bills pertaining to my issue.

b. House bill 4005

c. Medicaid eligible prisoners will receive federally financed treatment 30 days before release.

d.  Parolees; substance abuse recovery centers; and state Medicaid programs

e. I would vote yea, it is an important thing to keep people who are released, free

f. The bill originated in the house and had now passed through both the house energy and commerce committees. It has all now gained the support of three cosponsoring republicans. 

g.I’m satisfied with this step to rehabilitation.

3.

Subject: The deaths of two San Quentin inmates from contraband lethal drugs.

Author: Megan Cassidy, specializes in reports on law enforcement, criminal justice issues, and mayhem.

Context: This article was posted December 4, 2018. Only a month after two similar deaths of two prisoners the month before.

Audience: The news-consuming public.

Perspective: The article has a clear left leaning bias partially due to its place in the SF Chronicle. Also, the article has a heavy focus on a program to prevent these drug related deaths.

Significance: This article is pretty straightforward in its significance. There is a growing lethal drug problem among California death row inmates. I agree with the article and that more interaction with these inmates and better programs in place will begin to mend this problem.

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State Action

1a. Steven Glazer believes in the protection and right to privacy of felons, at least after release. Catherine Baker states no position on the issue.

1b. I agree with Steven Glazer’s position to the extent that he mentions, but would like to know more about his position of currently incarcerated people.

1c. Steven Glazer has signed SB 1311, on Licesce Plate Confidentiality. This removed the license plates to be taken of confidentiality lists given to relatives of police officers.

2a. The bill is Assembly Bill number 729.

2b. This bill was introduced on February 15, 2017 by Assembly member Gray.

2c. Effectively, this bill defines the logistics of revoking a recreational marijuana license. As well as giving explicit powers to peace officers, clarifying the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. One specific offense that would result in the revocation of a license would be the selling to a person without a license three times in a 36 month period.

2d. I would encourage my representatives to support this bill as it imposes fair and necessary regulations upon the new recreational marijuana licenses. Also, the clarifying of previous laws is important so citizens can know what they will be persecuted for.

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The 3 Ps Assessment: Parties, Political Interest Groups, and PACs

1.

a. The Republican party does not have a platform on mass incarceration which indicates they probably think it’s not a problem. The Democrats want prison reform and closing the racial wealth gap, part of the reason so many minorities end up in jail. Libertarians are so focused on personal freedoms that uneven prison sentences that they would almost definitely poll for prison reform. The Green party directly opposes the unfair imprisonment of nonviolent drug offenders as an infringement on civil rights. The Peace and Freedom party directly state that they want the end of the “War on Drugs”.

b. I agree with all of the party’s platforms except  the Republican party. All except this party have views that would lead to prison reform and more justice for those currently incarcerated. As well as ending the war on drugs, putting less nonviolent drug offenders in jail for less time.

c. I identify with the Libertarian party’s position the most. While I understand that government control is necessary at times, the focus on personal freedoms in all aspects of life is a consistent and respectable stance.

2.

a. DPA Network

b. The DPA moves for an end on the war on drugs. They believe in policies that take into account science, health, and human rights.

C. Many drugs have been used for years for medical and spiritual purposes. Marijuana should be regulated like tobacco or alcohol. Mass incarceration is one out “default tools”. Most people’s first encounter with justice system is by drugs. We need real drug education.

d. The network promotes the Marijuana Justice Act, federally legalizing marijuana, and supporting racial justice.

e. Although there are meetings seemingly in major cities all over the country, events are mostly in New York.

f. There are volunteer opportunities all over, but they seem to mostly be promotion of the group and their concerns. Getting the word out,

g. The organization acknowledges and wishes to aid in those negatively affected by the war on drugs.

3.

a.Drug Sense

b. They want to sponsor event and services that bring about drug policy reform. In order to end drug prohibition.

c. Legalizing Marijuana May End the Opioid Crisis, Say Scientists. Rep. Cohen Asks Atty. Gen. Sessions Which Marijuana Smokers Were Not Good People. Associations between medical cannabis and prescription opioid use in chronic pain patients. Federal marijuana legislation clears House of Commons, headed for the Senate. Marijuana no barrier for safe driving.

d. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act, this allowed for the recreational use of marijuana in california.

e. There seems to not be a specific place in which the organization is located. However, they have a massive online presence that almost makes their base of operations doesn’t really matter.

f. There are ways to get involved, specifically in the organizations letter writing campaign.

g. Consistent updates on the news help see hypocrisy in the federal anti-drug legislators.

4. The DPA Network seems to be far more organized and productive than the Drug Sense organization. This helps with the fact that the DPA is applying to people on a national level, while Drug Sense is specific to California.

5.

Black Economic Alliance

b. The organization strives to close the racial wealth gap.

c. They have received $1,643,934, and spent $398,813, with no cash on hand.

d. They only spent money on Democrats, about $25,672.

e. Some of the big companies that have backed the Black Economic Alliance include the Comcast Corporation and First Republic Bank.

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Constitutional Issues

The case is called Burrage v. United States, and was settled in the 2013-2014 term. The case goes as follows, Marcus Burrage was convicted for distributing heroin aswell as the distribution of heroin resulting in the death of Joshua Banka. However, after being sentenced to fourty years in prison Burrage appealed. The U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the ruling of the lower courts. By doing this the court answered that, yes, someone can be covicted for mured by association by proxmity even if it is not completely their fault. This touches on the proportional punishment provided by the eigth amendment helping determine more precisely what can make someone convicted for the death of another. I agree with the court’s decision. Even though Burrage sold the drugs without clear intent to kill his irresponsibility in what he sold was the exact reason for another’s death. 

I read an article title “Don’t let Trump’s use of celebrities distract you from his criminal-justice failures” by Sally Q. Yates in The Washington Post. Yates is the former deputy attorney general under president Barack Obama so their is a likely liberal lean to the argument but it falls sufficiently neutral as The Washington Post, a neutral news organization, published it. Withtin the article Yates talks abouts Trump’s lack of proactive prison reform, and in some cases, regressing to older practices. I completely agree with this article. Specifically, the two main policies that the author claims Trump needs to work on. In order to improve our system we must restore proportionality to drug offences, and focus prison more towards rehablitation instead of purely incarceration. Changes such as these will lead to a better life for convicts and former convicts.

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Media Assessment of Issue

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/31/opinion/failed-war-on-drugs.html

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/03/16/john-stossel-end-drug-war-save-black-america.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-hopkinson-media-coverage-drugs-police_us_5af2ff77e4b0aab8a78b6052

2. The first article is from the New York times and is written by George P. Shultz and Pedro Aspe. Shultz is an American who was formally held a position under three republican presidents. Throughout the article they tackle the shortcomings  of the war on drugs, and how little it has truly completed since its inception. For the most part the main opinion stays consistent and strong throughout the article; the war of drugs is not all it’s cracked up to be. There is little in relation to any racial or other prejudices perpetuated by the war on drugs.

The second article comes from Fox News. It is by John Stossel who is a libertarian with a Fox show. The article explores how the war on drugs has affected specifically the black community. Stossel claims that one of the main factors of the perceived racism in America is the war on drugs. He claims the legalization of drugs would get rid of the underground dealings that have sent many black people to prison. In order to prove his point he relates drugs to alcohol in the era of prohibition.

The final article is by Natalie Hopkinson of the Huffington Post. Hopkinson focuses on how the press’ portrayal of black people throughout the war on drugs has affected them. Hopkinson claims the a racially biased point of view in the press has made black people look worse and worse throughout the war on drugs. One major point is how a news story that blew up dominated the news cycle and prompted congress to persecute crack cocaine over powdered cocaine. Although they are pharmaceutically the same drug. Hopkin also compares the nations struggles with crack cocaine, affecting mostly black people, to the opioid crisis of today, affecting mostly white people.

3. While the conservative and liberal sources focus on race, the impartial source does not. Interesting enough both the conservative and liberal pints of view are both for the betterment of black people, they just think the problem is different.They are not in direct opposition.

4. Personally, I identify most with the article from the New York Times. Although race was a factor in the war on drugs, I feel as if the emphasis on race loses other important aspects of the struggle. 

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CONCEPTUALIZING THE ISSUE AND ASSESSING TYPES OF ACTION

My civic action issue is the War on Drugs and racial disparities in criminal justice. I chose this issue as it is has been a consistent issue in American politics for decades, and I would like to have a more educated stance on the topic. Also, this topic directly affects me and many people I know. Unfair racial prejudice in the criminal justice system specifically pertaining to the War on Drugs has two opposing viewpoints. One side believes that more minorities being incarcerated than non-ethnic people is due to systematic racial profiling. The other side believes that crimes is just more common in ethnic, and usually poor, communities. In order to address the issue we must look at statistics of minorities incarcerated, and why they were incarcerated. Then, according to the results, we must address the reasons for incarceration and if both the reason and trial were fair and impartial. Lastly, we must address the issues observed with real, worthwhile reforms. On twitter, I follow groups such as the NAACP, Black Lives Matter, Legal Defense Fund,ACLU and  Black Caucus. These groups are all made of people fighting for racial justice by promoting equally civil liberties for all. I also follow both Barack Obama and CNN for a liberal perspective on issues, as well as F ox News and Donald Trump for a conservative view.