Ethan Nadelmann: Why we need to end the War on Drugs

In Which a Sleep Deprived Human Reacts to Fergusen and the Horrific events Occuring There

So covering for an officer who killed a kid? Not cool. Placing the officer who shot him on paid leave? Also not cool. Not cool is a bit of an understatement though, isn't it? What happened in Fergusen is more than a tragedy. Brown's death is part of larger, more distrubing bigger picture.
The incident not only portrays the terrifying militarization of American police officers, but also of the seemingly entirely racially based overreaction by officiers everywhere. This angers me like none other. We've done this before. We've fought this battle TWICE now. Once back in the 1800s and then again in the 1960's. It is astounding to me that we haven't caught on yet.
Another thing, placing Browns murderer on paid leave is a bit of dick move. This guy killed someone and basically the Fergusen police department is saying here let's get you out of the spotlight, dearest officer, and pay you to stay away. A compensated killing.
This is such a disappointing breakdown. Not the protesters, the protesters are doing, exactly what they should be doing. (Except maybe tone down any looting) But the system. Our American justice system. Except it isn't really justice is it? Because it's racial profiling and putting more black men in jail than anyone else and these shootings and then NOT convicting the killer. (Trayvon Martin anyone?) What the US needs right now, in the wake of this horrific event, is a more regulated police force, and an unbiased as possible justice system. Citizens of the United States deserve a government, a system, that honors them as people. Americans, of all races and ethnicities and orientations of every kind, deserve a country that tries it's damndest to stop instances of bias, that tries to legislate and help, not tear down and marginalize.
And maybe I shouldn't be saying this. Maybe this is an issue left to those who suffer through it. But maybe I can say what drives me to keep talking despite being a white girl from the midwest, through Martin Niemöller's famous poem;

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me

I am all sorts of minority here in the United States. I'm an atheist, and a Socialist. I don't conform. I've come to the believe through my expereiences, that I must stand for all minorities and all of the rights of all other peoples. Becuase I don't want to end up like the poem. And nothing really separates us humans, does it? It's all...superficially constructed. 

Therefore, I stand with you Fergusen. I mourn for your murdered chid and the circumstances that you live in. Fight for your rights. Don't let some militarized assholes keep you down. We're with you.

Anonymous - #OpFerguson

Two Stories of Humanity and a Comment on the Treatment of our Border Children

I spent the last four days in a tent with six other girls bonding. We were celebrating our liberation from high school and our friendships. While we were camping on this adventerous journey we encountered instances of humanity. 

From the begining it was blatently obvious that we were city children who didn't camp. One of my friends spent our first night loudly proclaiming this and declaring the stupidity of this adventure. The other campers in this campsite also recognized our abnormality. Seven girls camping? What are they a group of lesbians? Killers? Either way, we appeared suspicious. 

People in turn, were rude. They constantly commented on how loud and obscene we were being around their children (whom they weren't even bothering to keep even a negligent eye on), and then staying up far into the night listening to loud music. We were offended and nervous, both natural reactions. Upon our third day however, they were packing up their camper and leaving. We rejoiced. Finally we could obnoxiously play Cards Against Humanity and laugh and squeal in horror at each other's own dark thoughts. 

At this same campsite, was a little blond boy maybe around three or four. Quiet, shy and adorable us ladies couldn't help but coo and cheer when he came charging by our campsite his red and yellow kite flying behind him. On our fourth night however, the little boy's kite got stuck in a tree. We'd seen this a couple of times before and his dad had always managed to retrieve the kite for his little boy. This time, the kite was too far up in the tree for him to even reach, let alone reclaim for his boy. 

A huge black truck saved the day. The man driving the truck pulled up to the dad and after a minute or so of talking the father and a passenger in the truck climbed into the truck bed and managed to retrieve the kite. We went nuts, clapping and cheering on the kite rescuers like none other. They probably thought us nuts, but for a group of city children, human kindness touches us like none other. Unlike the others, this family and the people in the truck made genuine human connections and helped each other like human beings are supposed to. We are not, after all, social creatures for nothing.

This ties in with another issue America is having at the moment; the border children.

These children are from Central and South America and are fleeing terrible conditions in their own home countries. They are being shipped here by terrified parents, who need our empathy and understanding more than they need our hate. These children are spending their days listening to hate coming from white people who get to go home to their parents and families and homes and feel safe. People who obviously don't appreciate what they have. These adult Americans standing at the border shouting at scared children are not heros, they are villians. America in this instance isn't a hero either. Nor is it a villian. America is the passerby who could do something powerful and live up to the motto engraved on our Statue of Libery, live up to "a nation of immigrants"; the title we've given ourselves with pride, live up to the standard that I as an American citizen hold my country to, along with so many others. But it isn't. And if we can learn anything from my camping trip is that there are three kinds of people in the world, the Heros, the Villans, and the Passerbys. And look, I love America. I love the ideals that it has stood for. Stood. Not stand. America has lost its way and it disappoints me beyond belief. 

Who do you want to be America? The choice is yours.