Drug-Related Crime

Most people recognize that federal drug policy targets people of color. Many might ask why. Our country moved along just fine for 130 years, with no need to federally regulate psychoactive substances. Then came the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906. The stated purpose of this law was to stop the patent medicine industry from hiding dangerous ingredients in their products from the public. As many people now know, the primary ingredient in the original Coca-Cola was liquid cocaine. Sadly, this act was the was the beginning of the federal government's war on "some" drugs. This act was passed in Congress without public support or opposition. At that time, the demographic that had the highest level of drug addiction was middle-aged white housewives.

When Prohibition began, there was large public support for it. Prohibition was a milestone for many reasons. The greatest of them being, it was the first and only time that the Constitution was amended to restrict rights. Why Prohibition ended is debatable. It is my contention that a major if not primary reason for it ending was the white body count that resulted from the war on alcohol. Basic economics tells us that when there is very high demand for a substance and it is outlawed, an uncontrollable black market is the result. Obviously, a major aspect of a black market, is violence used to control territories.

When we look at the modern drug policy, There are virtually no differences when compared to alcohol prohibition. The exception being the skin color of individuals who become collateral damage. The government would like people to believe that drug use and addiction are the highest in urban areas. Their own statistics show this to be a lie. They would also like us to believe that people of color make up the majority of drug dealers. The fact is we just make up the majority of arrests and convictions. There is a very sad statistic that shows very well the government's plan. 1 in 3 African-Americans in this country is going through the some stage of the criminal justice system. The major reason for this is because as a people we make it easier for the police to arrest and convict us of drug crimes. Generally we sell drugs in the open, while whites do so from their homes and other places. This makes things more inconspicuous. When our people go to prison, they often work for Fortune 500 companies for pennies an hour. But upon release, regardless of skills or education, they can barely find work at fast food establishments. To make certain this cycle continues, there are felon disenfranchisement laws. These laws prevent parolees in most states from voting. That is why it is very important that those of us who have to right to vote use it. The prison system combined with drug laws are being used to create a 21st century form of slavery. This is the reason the federal prison system is often referred to as "The New Plantation".