Friday, May 16, 2008
As long as prisons are profitable we won't ever see a decline in their population. Even though violent crime is down drastically from the 1970's or prison population continues to skyrocket. Every year more and more draconian steps are taken to harshly punish non-violent consensual crime, like drug possession, gambling, alcohol (the most dangerous drug) and of course dirty-dirty consensual sex. The only humor in it seems to be in this satire by Steven Colbert.
I saw this show live last night. The Texas Prison Bidness blog beat me to the post.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Patrick Stegal of the Memphis Defense Attorney Blog, which I highly recommend, has posted some tips for avoiding a narcotics detector dog search. He reminds us that once a police officer has finished with a routine traffic stop you are under no obligation to stick around and answer any questions:
"... if a motorist has been stopped for speeding, a dog sniff could legally be performed by one officer while another is writing the ticket. Or the officer who made the stop could run a sniff while waiting for a check for warrants. This could take fifteen minutes or more. Plenty of time to get the dog out and about, or to even wait for another one to be brought in. However, if the stop is finished the officer, without additional suspicion, cannot prolong the stop to have a dog brought in. They cannot buy time, and they cannot ask additional questions not related to the stop."Former police officer, Barry Cooper, has said in his video Never Get Busted Vol. 1 Traffic Stops, once the officer hands you ticket the Supreme Court has ruled that you are then free to leave. If the police officer continues to talk to you or ask you questions, politely ask if you are free to leave. If he/she persists, then ask if you are being detained, "Officer, am I being detained?" If he says "yes", then shut your mouth until you can call Patrick or another criminal defense attorney.
Its important that you don't try to chit-chat, what you say will be used against you. People lie to police officers all day long and they are used to it, so even if you're telling the truth there's a good chance they won't believe you. Remember to always stay calm, courteous, and respectful. Remember, you won't ever win an argument with a police officer and loosing your cool can land you in serious trouble.
For more on how to handle traffic stops watch Never Get Busted Vol. 1 Traffic Stops, and visit FlexYourRights.org.
Here's my take on the use of narcotic detector dogs.
Pillar of morality and piety, Bill O'Reilly, not only has a problem chasing skirts at the office, he also has problems treating his production staff with respect. This comes as no surprise from someone who broadcasts images of children in simulated sex acts.
O'Reilly has no moral authority to lambaste the City of Memphis or its children on national television, over the Mitchell High School "rape dance" videos. He needs to get his own house in order first.
Bill, your feigned and hypocritical indignation is revolting.
HT: The Agitator
The O'Reilly Factor Features Mitchell High Rape Dance Video, again
0 comments Posted by Ganja Blue at 12:16 AMThe saga continues... O'Reilly again featured the Mitchell High School "Rape Dance" incident I blogged about yesterday. I'm outraged that people care more about the "rape dance" than a child being shot at this same school earlier this year. Where are our priorities?
If Bill O'Reilly was seriously disgusted with the kids' dancing then he wouldn't be looping the video over and over. He wants to play video of children simulating sex on his show to titillate his audience. A grown man that wants to play video of children simulating sex acts is what disgusts me.
No video here, but Mediaverse® has the full video. The O'Reilly Factor (Mitchell High continued)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The mayor of Hailey, Idaho is throwing a crybaby fit . His constituents apparently think cannabis law is out of control, so they voted to direct the police to stop enforcing state marijuana law. What he did next defies logic.
Full Story: "The mayor, a city councilor, and the chief of police of this central Idaho city have sued the city over three pro-marijuana initiatives that were approved by voters in November.Mayor Rick Davis and his band of petty tyrants, City Councilman Don Keirn and Police Chief Jeff Gunter are trying to overrule the will of the people and recriminalize the plant. The bureaucrats have temporarily succeeded in delaying the implementation the measures. All four initiatives will come up for a vote again May 27, including the legalization initiative.
The initiatives pose a challenge to city officials because the measures passed by voters conflict with state law.
...
The initiatives passed by voters in the Nov. 6 election would legalize industrial hemp, decriminalize medicinal marijuana, and make enforcing pot laws the city's lowest police priority. A fourth initiative, to legalize pot outright, fell just short of approval."
Turns out, not all cannabis users fit the "Stoners in the Mist" stereotype the ONDCP creates for us. It's no surprise that average middle-class individuals can enjoy cannabis and find it easy to incorporate their use into their lives. According to the press release:
A qualitative study of 41 Canadians surveyed in 2005-06 by U of A researchers showed that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ marijuana user, but that people of all ages are selectively lighting up the drug as a way to enhance activities ranging from watching television and playing sports to having sex, painting or writing.Government propagandists and the main stream media have been working tirelessly for the last 70 years to scare Americans into thinking that cannabis is a "demon weed" that corrupts people and drives them to lives of crime. This superstitious witch hunt has cost billions of dollars and ruined countless lives, while ignoring the fact that users are harmless, contributing members of society. The reason these propaganda campaigns fail to decrease cannabis consumption is because the claims are patently false and cannabis users know it.
“For some of the participants, marijuana enhanced their ability to relax by taking their minds off daily stresses and pressures. Others found it helpful in focusing on the activity at hand,” said Geraint Osborne, a professor of sociology at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose, and one of the study’s authors.
The study was published recently in the journal Substance Use and Misuse.
The focus was on adult users who were employed, ranging in age from 21 to 61, including 25 men and 16 women from Alberta, Quebec, Ontario and Newfoundland whose use of the drug ranged from daily to once or twice a year. They were predominantly middle class and worked in the retail and service industries, in communications, as white-collar employees, or as health-care and social workers. As well, 68 per cent of the users held post-secondary degrees, while another 11 survey participants had earned their high school diplomas.
The study also found that the participants considered themselves responsible users of the drug, defined by moderate use in an appropriate social setting and not allowing it to cause harm to others.
