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Bush's Born Again Drug War
By Paul Armentano | AlterNet | Posted August 12, 2004.

Whereas previous administrations commonly framed their anti-drug arguments in secular terms, Bush's drug war, at least rhetorically, resembles that of a religious crusade.

Listen to George Walker Bush speak about substance abuse and it's apparent that one is listening to a preacher, not a president. "There are faith-based organizations in drug treatment that work so well because they convince a person to turn their life over to Christ," Bush divulged to the religious journal Christianity Today. "By doing so, they change a person's heart [and] a person with a changed heart is less likely to be addicted to drugs and alcohol."

Despite US Constitutional restrictions requiring a separation of church and state, Bush's ardent Judeo-Christian faith – the President is a practicing Methodist who "accepted Jesus Christ into [his] life" in 1986 – remains the staple of his administration's anti-drug platform. Whereas previous administrations commonly framed their anti-drug arguments in secular terms (i.e., former President Richard Nixon's "War on Drugs" or the Reagan administration's "Just Say No" campaign), Bush's drug war, at least rhetorically, resembles that of a religious crusade. GW's bottom line: Only through "God's will" may one be "saved" from the temptations of illegal drugs. It's a stance that many drug law reformers view as not only ineffective, but possibly illegal.


President Or Proselytizer?

"You know, I had a drinking problem. Right now I should be in a bar in Texas, not the Oval Office," Bush told author David Frum in his 2003 biography The Right Man. "There is only one reason that I am in the Oval Office and not in a bar. I found faith. I found God. I am here because of the powers of prayer."

While stories recounting the President's prior alcohol and drug use – so-called "youthful indiscretions" – are well publicized, not as well known is his 1986 spiritual awakening that led him to quit his use of intoxicants cold turkey. It's this personal journey that led Bush to reach his conclusion that other drug users – recreational pot smokers in particular – must also undergo their own, albeit coerced, religious conversion to achieve drug abstinence. After four years in office, it's clear that Bush is willing to use the bully pulpit and Congress' deep pockets to accomplish his goal: a drug-free, religiously indoctrinated America.

As President, one of Bush's first actions was to sign an executive order establishing a White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, presently headed by "Faith Czar" Jim Towey. In 2002, the Bush administration awarded nearly 500 faith-based programs – including several drug "education" and treatment programs – $477 million in taxpayers' funding. In 2002, Bush doled out an additional $568 million in federal funds to 680 self-identified faith-based groups – programs like the fundamentalist Christian drug-treatment project "Set Free Indeed," which states: "We rely solely on the foundation of the Word of God to break the bands of addiction. Once a person ... recognizes that only God can set them free, the rebuilding process can begin." To date, the Bush administration has funneled several million dollars to "Set Free Indeed," and the President singled out its founder by name during his 2003 State of the Union address, lauding it as a shining example of federally-backed faith-based drug treatment.

Religion has also been the theme of several new, high profile anti-drug campaigns launched by the administration. In 2003, just months after being tapped by Bush to head the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Karen Tandy threw her weight behind a grassroots anti-drug campaign called "Pray for the Children," which according to the group's website, maintains, "The power of prayer is unequaled" in influencing adolescents from refraining from drug use. Regarding her endorsement of the program, Tandy explained, "Drug abuse is a scourge that attacks a person's soul as well as body, so it's fitting that the solution should engage the soul as well."

Also last year, Bush launched "Faith. The Anti-Drug," a multi-million dollar campaign to encourage the religious community to incorporate pot abstinence into their spiritual teachings. "Faith plays a powerful role in preventing youth marijuana use," announced Drug Czar John Walters – himself a disciple of notorious "virtuecrat" and former drug czar William Bennett – at the campaign's kickoff party. He added, "We are urging youth ministers, volunteers and faith leaders to integrate drug prevention messages and activities into their sermons and youth programming, and are providing them with key tools and resources to make a difference."


Faith. The Anti-drug?

But are such campaigns "making a difference?" And are they even appropriate? Critics resoundingly say "no" on both counts.

"Religious drug treatment programs [like those favored by Bush] turn back the medical clock to the 19th Century," says Samantha Smoot of the Texas Freedom Network, a faith-based initiative watchdog group whose membership includes over 7,500 religious and community leaders. "The President values programs that say: 'We can pray you out of your addiction' more than programs that say: 'We will treat your addiction with counseling, medical treatment and spirituality.' Even more outrageous is his insistence that taxpayers foot the bill for his dangerous approach."

It's also potentially unconstitutional, according to Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United, a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. that argues for the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. "This is a massive shell game," he says. "The administration insists no public funds will be spent on religion, then turns those funds over to groups that openly brag about how much religion they have in their programs. The level of duplicity is staggering."

However, according to drug law reformer Charles Thomas, founder of the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative, religious faith can play a pivotal role in drug policy – though not in the way Bush decrees.

Faith teaches that it's essential that America's drug laws be just and compassionate, Thomas wrote in the May/June issue of the interfaith journal, Fellowship. "People of faith may play an essential role in building public support for treating drugs as a health issue instead of a crime," he explained. "Regardless of whether or not it's immoral to use drugs, it certainly is wrong to punish people solely for using drugs. Personal morality issues should be addressed by the faith community and family, not by cops, courts and prisons."

Don't tell that to GW, however, who has escalated criminal drug law enforcement during his Presidency and overseen the arrests of nearly 5 million Americans for drug crimes – most for no more than minor drug possession. Regrettably, like the Crusades of old where religious transformation typically occurred "by fire and sword," the Bush administration ultimately believes that today's drug users federally ordained path to redemption is best achieved by way of a jail house conversion.

This article originally appeared in Heads Magazine in Canada.

Paul Armentano is the senior policy analyst for The NORML Foundation in Washington, DC.

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Alien Space Signal

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

Fear became the ultimate tool of this government - V.

 

Enraged American

"It's a stance that many drug law reformers view as not only ineffective, but possibly illegal."

So where are the legal actions to stop this?!!

I myself believe in God but find it reprehinsible to legislate morality or otherwise force non-believers to accept what I believe to be the truth.

All we will have is a country full of fearful citizens that will comply with this "forced religion" to "save" themselves from jail, not the other place.

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The one sided, negative view that people are given about drugs is similar to the one sided, negative view they are given about guns—something that conservatives complain about.
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Freedom with limitations is not freedom at all.

smoking_joe_lee

Yo, Enraged American! Where did you ever come up with that Goldwater quote, anyway? You got the first half correct but the second half is not. Barry made this this statement at the 1964 GOP Convention. The correct line is:

"MODERATION IN THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE IS NO VIRTUE."

There is nothing about tyranny and he did not use the word, tolerance. Of courseGoldwater's critics at the time, the word "tolerance" had no place in the vocublary of that famous "extreemist!" Good thing the moderate, peace loving candidate got the nod way back in '64!

As for this "news" story, where is the ACLU? When it comes to issues involving seperation of church and state, these people are not shy about making their voices heard. No Nativity Scene on city, state, federal land is safe. If this thing is as BIG as the story implies, I would expect to hear more and from other sources. But then again, it just MIGHT be a case of Bush bashing. We shall see...

Just, wondering; how many of these so called, "faith based" organizations are, say, fraturnal groups (to name 2) such as the Moose Lodge or Eagles? These groups require prospective members proclaim they believe in God. I would be hard pressed to say that religon is is a huge driving force behind what they do. They ARE, however valuable assets in the community.

One last thing; does Mr. Bush have the right to say he was able to end his ALCOHOL addiction because of his faith? First Ammendment or something...

"Those that hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself." Richard M. Nixon

cassiusclay

Sadly, its probably not technically illegal. I believe the constitution is not rock solid on the seperation of church and state. In other words there is nothing in there that says seperation is a basic right or freedom. Its only inplied that it is better to keep it seperate. Someone else may know what I'm talking about here. Its like the right to bear arms. It says a "well armed militia", but now most people believe it says that you personally have the right to a gun.

xxdr_zombiexx

Grantseeker's Guide to Faith-Based Funding

Could the Bush administration's faith-based initiative be the window of opportunity your organization needs to secure federal dollars? Find out the current status of the faith-based funding program in this new special report!Your price is: $35.00

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Faith-based initiatives quietly lunge forward

Proposals on drug-program funding and religious buildings raise civil libertarians' ire.

By Linda Feldmann | Staff writer of the Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – When the Senate failed last year to act on President Bush's signature "faith-based initiative," the White House did not give up.
Bit by bit, through executive orders and changes in agency regulations, the administration has been carrying out the initiative anyway. Its goal is to allow religious groups to compete more easily for federal funds to address under-served social needs, such as helping the homeless and the drug-addicted. Seven government departments now have faith-based offices, which steer religious groups toward billions of dollars in grant money.

[snip]

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Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

President's Remarks at Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Conference
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Grants to Religious Groups Top $1.1 Billion
Administration Lauds Initiative

Faith based Programs and the Semblers.

Older Critical Perspectives

 

ThugLife469

I cannot believe stuff that this is going on. I cant believe my tax money is supplying income to faith based projects. Being a devout athiest (and contemplating taking Science as my faith) it makes me physically sick even thinking about it.

Sad sad world we are living in.

Peace


ThugLife


F*ck it...let's go to Canada. Least we can get blasted there (and not worry about getting arrested)

PotShot

I thought the terrorists were the ones with the religious zealots? *snicker*

Seems like more D.A.R.E. like behaviour. Of course, using religion is really dirty.
ENGAGE THE SOUL!!!

I like my soul the way it is, thank you very much.

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smoking_joe_lee

"I thought the terrorists were the ones with the religious zealots?"

What the heck! Have you read anything about the Islamic fundamentalists? Infidelity is a capitol offense! The person who commits this "crime" is stoned to death. Girls are not permitted to get an education. If you speak about any religion other than Islam, you go to jail. Steal a loaf of bread; loose a hand! I could go on but hopefully you get my point.

You may not like Bush, but to compare him to those people is like comparing Kerry to Mao!

frosty nugs

a bit off the subject, but a judge has given new hope to pot being legalized in nevada by declaring two of the ballot requirements unconstitutional. nice to see a judge with some sense.

cassiusclay

Hahaha, so throwing a sick old lady into jail because she smokes pot for her pain is more noble than islamic fundamentalism?

Reclassifying poisons like mercury so big business doesn't have to pay to clean it up. Oh yeah, way to go bush.

I could go on for several pages on GW's resume.

If there's a god, then bush is going to hell.\

p.s. I personally do believe in god, just not the one that bush believes in and if it were legal (or he could get away with it), bush would kill me for it, just like your islamic fundamentalist types.