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2019-11-23 Home Front: Politix

Kamala Harris Blames Weed Arrests for Mass Incarceration

[FREEBEACON] Democratic presidential candidate Kámala Harris

Former Oakland mayor Willie Brown's former mistress, now a senatrix from California and 2020 Dem presidential hopeful, indistinguishable from the others...
lamented the mass incarceration of those convicted of marijuana-related offenses Thursday. The former Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, attorney general did not acknowledge that on her watch, 1,974 people were incarcerated for the same infraction.

"I mean, you want to talk about ’gateway,' that approach is the gateway to America's problem of mass incarceration..." Harris told Stephen Colbert on Thursday. "So not only do I intend to legalize marijuana, but I will also tell you, Stephen, that part of the big issue is we've got whole populations of, in particular, black and brown men and women who have been incarcerated, who have been designated felons for life, who now should be coming out, we should be releasing them, we should be expunging their records."

Harris neglected to mention her own role in incarcerating those black and brown men and women. A Washington Free Beacon investigation first reported that Harris, as attorney general of California, sent at least 1,560 people to state prisons for marijuana-related offenses between 2011 and 2016.

Presidential rival Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D., Hawaii) brought further attention to Harris's record during a July presidential debate, noting that she "put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana." Harris called that claim a "lie," but a fact check by the the Socialist paradise of San Francisco
...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964...
Chronicle found that the initial Free Beacon report actually understated the number of jail sentences and "1,974 people were admitted for hashish and marijuana convictions during that period."

Posted by Fred 2019-11-23 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11140 views ] Top

#1 Kamala
💘
Herb

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 02:35|| 2019-11-23 02:35|| Front Page Top

#2 I mean the plant. [snigger]

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 02:36|| 2019-11-23 02:36|| Front Page Top

#3 Well, she's not wrong. Weed shouldn't be illegal. It's about 1000x less harmful than alcohol.

Fun fact: did you know that weed (known then as hemp and an excellent fiber for industrial use) was outlawed so that DuPont wouldn't have any competition for its new product, nylon. Yup, that happened. Combined with fake news about how weed was making black men rape white women, which weed doesn't make you an aggressive rapist.

Who here thinks that weed makes users into crazed criminals? Lol. It makes you want to sit on the couch and eat cookies. Ask any bouncer who worked a crowd of weed smokers to see a band and how they compare to the usual crowd of drunks who usually come to shows.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-11-23 04:26|| 2019-11-23 04:26|| Front Page Top

#4 Who here thinks that weed makes users into crazed criminals?

Not this cat. Since I live in Mass., we've now effectively legalized pot in this state, and believe it or not I liked it better when it was illegal. I don't think it helps when you encourage society by making drugs legal, because there are still negative effects. For example, if you're baked and driving a vehicle, there's little question your reaction time is reduced, although that may be partially offset by the tendency to drive slower. That said, legalization seems to be the way we're headed.

Posted by Raj 2019-11-23 05:43|| 2019-11-23 05:43|| Front Page Top

#5 ^ Absolutely right. Some things should be acceptably illegal, like narcotic substances. To be indulged in only by braving the law, but never to be given free reign. It is one of the dichotomies every modern State faces, in a quest to balance public health and security directives with human rights and liberties.

A mature society deters its children from wanton recreation with such substances, but since societal mind-set has malfunctioned all over, it's up to the State to deter individuals.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 06:09|| 2019-11-23 06:09|| Front Page Top

#6 It was already illegal to drive under the influence.

"Wanton recreation"? What the hell does that even mean? If I want to go get rip-roaring drunk, I can. That's my business. If I want to get stoned out of my gourd and watch Akira, that's my business. There is simply no harm that the government is protecting me from.

Weed is *not* a narcotic. Who told you that? Opium is a narcotic. Weed doesn't even addict the human body. What public health directive?

You know what does tremendous harm? Putting people in jail for weed. That does more harm than all the driving while high on weed incidents put together in all 50 states.

DuPont's nylon was a success. It's time to repeal the law protecting it from its onetime competitor.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-11-23 07:55|| 2019-11-23 07:55|| Front Page Top

#7 since societal mind-set has malfunctioned all over, it's up to the State to deter individuals.

Dron, this is a paradox that I dealt with in Poli Sci 50 years ago.

The state IS the incarnation of the societal mind-set so .........

Posted by AlanC 2019-11-23 08:21|| 2019-11-23 08:21|| Front Page Top

#8 The state IS the incarnation of the societal mind-set

I have to disagree a bit. The State can be an extension of the overall culture. It is practically exterior to the contemporary mores and conventions of society that make a mind-set. Which is why the American republic still perseveres in its conservative estate even after the 60s and this post millennial madness.

I'm not for a fascist concept of State, but every once in history the individual does need to sacrifice his/her prerogatives in the larger interest.

Which brings me to what Herb says. That for him subjectively, it's a fantastic product. It does no harm According to some real fervent research. to peoples' bodies and in fact makes them happy and pliant.

Pliant... remember that word when I tell you the Left wants you to partake of it in larger numbers, and that the 'wellness science' behind it may be just as spurious as that of climate change.

Again, I'm not against the darn thing itself. I've certainly done my share of experimentation, even abuse. I can handle the effects at this stage in my life. But do I want every schoolkid, young boy and girl in my country to have access to cannabis derivatives as easy as buying cigarettes ? While a hostile predatory community of criminals is prowling seeking pliant prey ? While certain politicians are depending on the MSM and 'liberal' groups to induce a 'freedom frenzy', take it to anarchist levels ? Hell no. Not while I'm alive.

You might say that's being unequal. Yes, it is. But in trying to protect our societies from being overrun by hostile ideologies and enemies with relatively healthier lifestyles, we must impose restrictions on certain elements which seek to compromise our indigenous demographics.

Would you sleep better if your children were by themselves and in possession of their wits, or if they were surrounded by idiots and wolves while stoned ? Because that's what the practical reality boils down to.

With time, the world shall get even more difficult to deal with for our future generations, more chaos, more pressures, more frustrations and angst. Individuals will seek escape. And given escape, more and more will take it, most of the time.

I like to be intoxicated, but it's my personal failing. I love my children and will not let them do what I do, because I know it's bad for them in so many ways. It's very simple. But today everything is about logic. If it can be refuted by stats, then it's stupid and if an 'elite' can advertise it, espouse its intrinsic value with the help of cooked up numbers, it's the brightest thing to do.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 09:10|| 2019-11-23 09:10|| Front Page Top

#9 The rant was for Herb, not AlanC of course.

Herb, you're ok with getting high and being by yourself. Can you really vouch for what the 21 year old mother of a 15 day old will do, or not do ?

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 09:24|| 2019-11-23 09:24|| Front Page Top

#10 Why should anyone have to vouch for a 21 yr. old with a 15 day old baby?

Posted by chris 2019-11-23 09:50|| 2019-11-23 09:50|| Front Page Top

#11 Don't smoke or deal weed, won't be arrests. I know plenty of people who have gone their entire life without it, so it's easily done.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2019-11-23 10:22|| 2019-11-23 10:22|| Front Page Top

#12 JFC, "Herb", we get it -- you're a pothead. Your sole god is pot, and nothing bad ever came from it, as far as you're concerned.

No go smoke something and leave the discussion to the adults.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2019-11-23 10:24|| 2019-11-23 10:24|| Front Page Top

#13 Oh yeah. I understand that weed isn't consequence free. It's just that it's not nearly as bad as it's been made out to be.

Let's consider that the negative effects of legal weed are -100. The negative effects of illegal weed are -10,000,000.

Moreover consider the effects on the Mexican cartels. Overnight they are deprived of one of their revenue sources. Mexico becomes a better place and we get fewer illegals.

I have to say, it feels strange to be engaged with actual arguments, even if I disagree with them. So much at Rantburg is name calling and personal insults.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-11-23 10:27|| 2019-11-23 10:27|| Front Page Top

#14 So much at Rantburg is name calling and personal insults.

Actually, very little of the discussion here is like that. But we're glad you have given up on the neocons/endless war/evil America stuff. It was becoming tiresome.

Posted by SteveS 2019-11-23 10:38|| 2019-11-23 10:38|| Front Page Top

#15 negative effects of legal weed are -100. The negative effects of illegal weed are -10,000,000.

Those are words like politicians and hack journos spout. Here's another such statement:

'The -10,000,000 you know is better than the -100 you know jack shit about.'

Why do you have a problem with buying overpriced weed from dealers for yourself and using it in private ? Does your individual liberal adventure have to be taken on trust as sound judgement and applied as state policy for 330 million people ? It sounds like the same kind of insistence that some people show for welcoming everything from voodoo to islam into their society just because they prefer black dicks or arab accents.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 10:47|| 2019-11-23 10:47|| Front Page Top

#16 #12 oh yeah, there's the made-up positions I don't hold combined with personal insults I've come to expect from Rantburgers.

Seriously, what is you people's *deal* with inventing things, accusing me of saying what you said, and then criticizing me for what you made up? This is how the SJW Left argues, people.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-11-23 11:00|| 2019-11-23 11:00|| Front Page Top

#17 America isn't evil. Globalists are evil. Neocons are evil. You know, the ones who hijacked America into bombing the shit out of countries who never attacked us? Once AGAIN, we have people creating strawmen. Sigh.

Does your individual liberal adventure have to be taken on trust as sound judgement and applied as state policy for 330 million people ?

Absolutely not and once again, *I didn't say that*. Illegal weed creates an absolutely staggering amount of harm in our society. Legal weed doesn't bring it to zero. But it absolutely reduces the harm from astronomical levels to manageable levels.

Do you understand it is wrong to put people in prison for weed? The entire reason it's illegal in the first place was to remove a competitor to DuPont's nylon. Yes, that's right. This happened. I encourage you to do your own research. It's not because weed was some kind of societal scourge that was going to make 21 year old mothers neglect their 15 day old children.

And even if there WAS an epidemic of child neglect from stoned mothers, it would STILL be not just less harmful, but stupendously less harmful than putting all those people in prison.

State policy for 330 million people should be legal weed, regulated and taxed the same as we do for alcohol and tobacco. Remember how Prohibition was an utter disaster, didn't work to stop people drinking, and only resulted in skyrocketing crime and the creation of powerful mafia organizations? Yeah, pretty much the same thing.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-11-23 11:32|| 2019-11-23 11:32|| Front Page Top

#18 How long before we have affirmative action for people who willingly impair themselves with weed? Public drunkenness and DUI are still on the books, but I can see the day where there are laws against drug testing for employment and insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse to underwrite insurance for business that have drug impaired people on their payroll.

I'm sure it will all work out. /sarc

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-11-23 12:37|| 2019-11-23 12:37|| Front Page Top

#19 Increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s.

A little before Erb's 'rope over nylon' popularist meme.

Posted by Skidmark 2019-11-23 14:18|| 2019-11-23 14:18|| Front Page Top

#20 California Says Its Cannabis Revenue Has Fallen Short Of Estimates, Despite Gains

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2019-11-23 14:25|| 2019-11-23 14:25|| Front Page Top

#21 Couch stoners don't get out much.

Everyone knows it's a Bayer conspiracy.

Posted by swksvolFF 2019-11-23 15:17|| 2019-11-23 15:17|| Front Page Top

#22 I work in an industry where inattention can mean instant death or maiming for you or one of your co-workers. If you want legal weed, fine, change the laws. But here's the thing, if you accept tax money in any form or fashion, be it welfar, snap, EBT, social security, no weed. If you want to do weed, and you are caught driving, death penalty. Make it the same for alcohol. If you want to have a gun, no weed. If you are caught smoking it in public, death penalty. Oh and any weed without the $100/ounce tax stamp that has to go through the process from the DEA that NFA items do from the ATF, death penalty. You are caught growing your own, death penalty. All JOBS must drug test weekly, fail, shotgun to the fax, no questions asked.

I DO NOT want people around me stupid cause of beer, liquor, wine, drugs of any kind. I still have all my fingers, toes and limbs oh and eyes, so yeah, I'd like to keep them. Not everyone I know does.

You can sit in your hole in the ground and smoke your very expensive crap and die of cancer or stroke. I want no part of it. And I don't want it near me or my kids.

Posted by Silentbrick 2019-11-23 15:37|| 2019-11-23 15:37|| Front Page Top

#23

Posted by 3dc 2019-11-23 15:50|| 2019-11-23 15:50|| Front Page Top

#24

Posted by 3dc 2019-11-23 19:12|| 2019-11-23 19:12|| Front Page Top

#25 Couldn't have said it better than Silentbrick.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 22:20|| 2019-11-23 22:20|| Front Page Top

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