Question: Why do we have so many of our citizens in jail or prison? ?
Question Details:
With 5 percent of the worlds population and one fourth
of the world's prisoners in our country, (USA) just where are we
heading? Ever since the war on drugs began in 1971, the percentage of
prisoners per capita has skyrocketed. Our country is staggeringly broke
and yet we spend billions of dollars to incarcerate our own people for
victimless crimes. One percent of all American adults are currently
incarcerated-over half of those for drug charges.
While doctors prescribe mountains of opiates, speed, and dangerous anti-depressants, our foodstuffs contain tri-sodium phosphate (a banned solvent in Nevada),
carcinogens, growth hormones and more, while tobacco is legal (and so is
Alcohol), hundreds of thousands of children are growing up in utmost
poverty, fatherless because Daddy took drugs. When Dad gets out, he is a
felon. Unable to find a good job because of criminal history checks,
traumatized by abuses suffered in prison and forced to comply with
stringent rules of parole, he is all too likely to end up a "lifer".
Meanwhile, private corporations are growing ever richer via the
mega-business of building and running prisons paid for with our tax
dollars. Feel safer? Enforcement of violent crimes is down. Got a
problem? Need law protection? You had better make an appointment and
give up on excellent service because in many areas, training is non
existent for fingerprinting and other invasive crime investigations. The
main focus is on drug law enforcement.
Other civilized countries have
made huge adjustments and gains in their handling of drug problems. By
decriminalizing addiction and possession, they have reduced the violent
crimes associated with drugs, the aids and other diseases epidemic in
our country. They offer ways to turn people's lives around while we
continue to "search and destroy".
No, I personally do not take drugs, other than caffeine, whatever is in chocolate, and sugar. (When they make caffeine illegal, we are ALL in trouble!) But I have witnessed
the devastation of families from our harsh and ineffective laws. What
ever happened to the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Contact your congressmen today. Ask them these questions. Contact our new
president. To be a truly great country requires more than just
arrogantly proclaiming our greatness. To be truly great, we must be
great to ourselves, to our own people and to others.
