What are y'alls thoughts on this? http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-to-commute-sentences-for-8-in-crack-cocaine-cases/ I will contribute later. I need to collect my thoughts on this.
He didn't pardon them, he commuted their sentences. That means he thought the punishment was too harsh. A pardon would have removed the crime from their record. This is what George Bush did for Scooter Libby, who was Cheney's right hand man (I forget his title).
Cocaine offenses =/ crack dealers. Other than that, I don't have an issue with it. There's way too many people rotting in jail for drug offenses (well, way too many period, but thats another topic) committed when the laws were draconian and overreaching, this isn't really much more than a nice gesture acknowledging that fact, but it's something. I mean really, life sentences for some blow? That crap is outrageous.
I know an old-timer In Humboldt who spent 16 years in Quentin for having 5 plants in his backyard in the 70's. There was a forest fire nearby his house one fall and apparently some of the fire crews came through his property, saw his plants and called the cops...sentenced to 25 years, served 16. For 5 plants. Today thats a fraction of what anyone is allowed to grow completely legally with not a worry in the world for their safety or freedom, but not all that long ago they wanted to take 30 years away from someones life for it, someone who hadn't even been alive 30 years at the time...and it's not like thats an isolated unicorn of a case. Let all non-violent drug offenders go, as far as I'm concerned, and put the freaking billions of dollars saved into something worth a crap. Pay some teachers a decent wage. Put some deserving kids through school. Whatever really, just freaking stop wasting it.
When Kansas was the pot capitol of the US and its Attorney General was Vern Miller, I was more than nervous having 3 plants in my parents attic. Back then had I gotten caught, it was a non-negotiable 15 years (even though the quality of the ganja was crap). If a crack dealer was caught selling to a child, throw away the key. But for someone casually selling the stuff, there's far worse things to be locked up for.
let all of the people out for selling pot. make room for the murderers, violent crime committers, rapists and child molestors that should never get parole.
Hell,the drug dealers that are in jail are little fish,not the major league suppliers. they are just scapegoats and people the government chooses to make look like scapegoats for justice,or in the freaking name of justice. It is amazing how hypocritical our goverement is over everything
the war on drugs was nothing but a front to create more layers of government. and surprise, suroprise - it's been a galatic failure.
