It’s Time to Call Both Parties on their Complicity

Why are Both Parties, GOP & DNC, on the same side of the War on Drugs?

Where is the Loyal Opposition?

Here’s what I am thinking. The war on drugs has been a boon to both parties – the GOP gets to look tough on crime by defining all recreational drug use is crime, and prosecuting/incarcerating/demonizing behavior that is just fine if it entails alcohol. The Dems get to portray themselves as the compassionate by supporting “treatment” that doesn’t work to make people stop behavior that is not a disease – while not opposing prohibition because of its usefulness to force people into rehab. Iron fist, meet velvet glove. The war on drugs has descended to the point of going after law-abiding pain patients and the doctors who prescribe for them, basically punishing people with ACTUAL diseases, and showing the ineffectuality of using federal law and state and local criminal justice mechanisms to try to stamp out vices – behaviors that do not have a victim in the way assault, theft, embezzlement or fraud do.

So I think the pain patient community, and supporters of pain patients need to take a stand. We need to quit supporting the political parties that are willing to let innocent sick people suffer to get a few points of drug warrior cred. I would like to see any pain patient who has been a member of, or contributer to, either of the big 2 parties – and any 3rd party that doesn’t support the end of ALL prohibition (not just marijuana prohibition) to re-register as independent, and write to the party explaining that the war on drugs is not only unwinnable but increasingly cruel, and maybe note how much money or volunteering the person has contributed to that party in the past. It would be nice if we could do it in as short and defined a period of time as possible – maybe the week of the 4th of July, or maybe Dec 16, in honor of the Boston Tea Party. (The latter would allow more time for organizing and spreading the word, but would be a terribly long time for pain patients to continue to suffer)