Dope Smokers or Violence: Which is Worse?
By: snolan
Published On: 8/8/2008 8:00:18 AM
There is something very, very wrong with a society that thinks it is acceptable for police to violently kick down the door to a private family's home, shoot the family dogs and physically restrain the family while they conduct a search for drug dealer materials or other incriminating evidence, all because a large package of cannabis sativa was discovered in the postal system with their address on it.
Let's suppose for a moment that this family actually is part of a massive Cannabis distribution ring. In a sane and just society, the police would have to get a warrant to search the premises. No violence is called for in any way because Cannabis simply does not imply violence. Ever meet a violent offender who is stoned on Cannabis? It just does not happen. The use of violence against Cannabis users and dealers is completely unjustified and should be punished to the maximum extent of the law. The very nature of Cannabis being a controlled substance needs to be called into question. The discovery of this stuff in the postal system is a problem too, but that requires a whole story all to itself about the privacy of the United States Postal System.
All of this becomes much, much worse when the news reports that the family were completely innocent, had no knowledge that this package was coming to their house, and basically had no idea what hit them until police broke down their door, shot their dogs, and tied them up while an illegal and warrant-less search was conducted at their home. We probably would not have heard about it if the family did not also happen to be the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland and his wife.
Why was violence justified?
NewsChannel 8 Story
Comments
This is a truly disturbing story (Lowell - 8/8/2008 9:56:23 AM)
and a natural consequence of our idiotic, counterproductive "war on drugs."