Stephanie S.

I have begun reading the book mentioned in the subject of this thread. It is written by Dan Baum, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal. This book is non-fiction; everything is true and accurate.

I am going to take the space of this thread to comment as I read through this book. It contains many actual accounts of arrests and detainment of 100's of people throughout the WoD.

To begin my comments, I'd like to share that the term War on Drugs was coined in the 1968 presidential election by none other than our very own all around great guy, Richard Nixon. He used the term to convince the population that, "Drugs could stand in for a host of troubles too awkward to discuss plainly."

Baum points out that the War on Drugs idea has fed so mnay people in need of something to blame for various problems. "Parents appaled by teens behavior, police starved for revenue, conservative politicians pandering to their constituents' moral dudgeon, liberal politicians needing a chance to look tough, presidents looking for distractions from scandals, whites-and blacks- striving to "explain" the ghetto, editors filling page one, spies and colonels needing enemy to replace Communists...The War on Drugs is about a lot of things, but only rarely is it really about drugs."

During the Bush presidency the nation spent more than $120 billion on the WoD...more than health care for that same period.


So, this is just a brief hint at the first TWO pages of this book. I've read most of it and am now re-reading for extra thought and brevity. I hope that some of what people see here will entice you to go and buy this book or check it out at the library. (If you do get it at the library..PLEASE take it BACK so that others may appreciate it as well!!)

It's an education, it's a message, and every American should read it.

peace