Go Home, Drug War, You're Drunk!

Read the story: NYPD Spent 1 Million Hours Making 440,000 Marijuana Possession Arrests Over Last Decade

"We cannot afford to continue arresting tens of thousands of youth every year for low-level marijuana possession,” Alfredo Carrasquillo, a civil rights organizer with the activist group VOCAL-NY, said in a release. “We can't afford it in terms of the negative effect it has on the future prospects of our youth and we can't afford in terms of police hours."

It's bad enough that the United States alone has already squandered over a TRILLION dollars fighting The War on Drugs; now we get a glimpse of all of the time that is wasted on it as well.

Just think of all of the other things that could have been properly addressed with this kind of precious time and tax-payer money!

• Schools
• Health Care
• Elder Care
  
• Veteran Support
• Early Childhood Education
• Mental Illness Support
• Substance Abuse Rehabilitation
• The Environment & Green Jobs
• Homelessness and Affordable Housing
  
• Infrastructure
  
• Fraud

Law Enforcement Officers could be solving exponentially more homicides, assaults and cases of child abuse and paedophilia.  Instead of building and staffing more jails we could be funding laboratories and skilled workers that process crime scene evidence and expedite the processing of sexual assault forensic exam kits. (Something that is obviously lost on the likes of Ol' Sheriff Joe!*)

We must evaluate where our priorities lie as citizens of our communities and as members of the Human Race.  Ask yourself where *you* want your hard earned taxes to go.  Where do *you* want police to focus their attention?  "Herbal" offenses?  Or on actual crimes that really do hurt us all?

Visit the updated website for the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada and get involved!

Along with the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada, there are many, many organizations working to reform and change our drug policy laws.  Check them out today!

Moms for Marijuana

NORML Women's Alliance

NORML

NORML Canada

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Canada

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Sensible BC

Drug Policy Alliance

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Marijuana Policy Project
Dads For Marijuana International

Unconventional Foundation for Autism

SAFERChoice

Marijuana Majority

*Sheriff Joe! ~ Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office spent so much time and money seeking out non-violent people that he prompted an internal investigation which discovered at least 32 reported child molestations in which the sheriff's office failed to follow through, even though suspects were known in all but six cases.  El Mirage, a community near Phoenix, alleged there were many cases in which sheriff's investigators wrote no follow-up reports, collected no additional forensic evidence and made no effort after the initial crime report was taken.  Arpaio's office eventually reopened more than 400 of its sex-crime cases countywide after finding they were inadequately investigated or not examined at all. Read about this tragedy here at THINKPROGRESS: Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Failed To Investigate Over 400 Sex Crimes, Including Molestations Of Undocumented Children

Additional Info

Count the Costs - 50 Years of the War on Drugs

Unless present policy is redirected, we will perpetuate the same problems, tolerate the same social costs, and find ourselves as we do now, no further along the road to a more rational legal and social approach than we were in 1914. - "Drug Use in America: Problem in Perspective", issued 40 years ago today. (March 22 1973 - March 22, 2013) From "Shafer Commission Report on Marijuana and Drugs, Issued 40 Years Ago Today, Was Ahead of its Time"
by Eric E. Sterling.  Please read this, it is an amazing article! 

"Ironically, these policy failures are often cited by law enforcement as a justification for continuing current policies. Just as the costs of enforcing marijuana laws are cited as a cost of drug abuse rather than public policy, these social problems are misrepresented to the public as evidence that marijuana use requires criminal sanctions rather than regulation. Policy failures brought about by this lack of effective controls is not a valid justification of current policies. The statistical data cited in this report on the supply, availability, use, price, and value of marijuana demonstrate that the amount of lost taxes and other fiscal costs of current policy are increasing and proliferating over time."
From Lost Taxes and Other Costs of Marijuana Laws by Jon Gettman - Read the full report of the tremendous annual cost of marijuana prohibition in the October 2007 issue of the Bulletin of Cannabis Reform

14 Reasons Why Marijuana is Good for the Economy (HuffPo Slideshow, scroll down the page)

ENOUGH! Forget Oil - Plant In the Soil!

"ENOUGH!"

Added to the screenshot of Huffington Post's Front Page

June 19th. 2012

(click on photo to enlarge)



Third pipeline leak in Alberta in three weeks

I am sharing this asking Canadians to PLEASE check out
Franke James' most awesome Visual Essay "What is Harper

afraid of?" posted on Dogwood Initiative.  Above is

the animated version, go read the original and all of the

other awesomeness on Franke's website
My Green Conscience, Canada is lucky to have her!  Although,

the Harper Government doesn't think so!


Banned on the Hill (and in Europe!)

Harper government targeted artist for her green

conscience, internal documents reveal

Anti-Gateway comic gathering steam

Activist Artist vs. Pipeline



Meanwhile...

Hemp is our answer to depend less on Big Oil, save our trees 

and forests, use less water and reduce use of
pesticides. 

Hemp has been decriminalized in Canada since 1997, there 

is no excuse to not utilize this plant
for the benefit of our 

ecosystems and environmental health. I know we've come a 

long way since '97 but there's
still much work to do!

I hope you signed Franke James' letter to your Member of

Parliament at the bottom of her Visual Essay
regarding Bill C-38. 

Also, don't be afraid to ask
your MP: "What about Industrial
Hemp?" 

More on my blog about Hemp, click here.

UPDATE: Ecocide in Arkansas!



Huffington Post

Arkansas Oil Spill:
Exxon Shuts Pegasus
Pipeline After
Rupture

NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil was working to

clean up
thousands of barrels of oil in Mayflower, Arkansas,

after a pipeline
carrying heavy Canadian crude ruptured, a

major spill likely to stoke
debate over transporting Canada's

oil to the United States.



Exxon
shut the Pegasus pipeline, which can carry more than

90,000 barrels
per day (bpd) of crude oil from Pakota, Illinois,

to Nederland, Texas,
after the leak was discovered on Friday

afternoon, the company said in a
statement.



Exxon, hit with a $1.7 million fine
by regulators this week over

a 2011 spill in the Yellowstone River,
said a few thousand

barrels of oil had been observed.



A
company spokesman confirmed the line was carrying

Canadian Wabasca
Heavy crude. That grade is a heavy

bitumen crude diluted with lighter
liquids to allow it to

flow through pipelines, according to the
Canadian Energy

Pipeline Association (CEPA), which referred

to Wabasca
as "oil sands" in a report.



The spill occurred as
the U.S. State Department is considering

the fate of the 800,000 bpd
Keystone XL pipeline, which would

carry crude from Canada's oil sands
to the Gulf Coast. Environ-

mentalists, concerned about the impact of
developing the

oil sands, have sought to block its approval.



Supporters say Keystone will help bring down the cost of fuel in

the United States.



The
Arkansas spill was the second incident this week where

Canadian crude
has spilled in the United States. On Wednesday,

a train carrying
Canadian crude derailed in Minnesota, spilling

15,000 gallons of oil.



Exxon
expanded the Pegasus pipeline in 2009 to carry more

Canadian crude
from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast refining hub

and installed what it
called new "leak detection technology". 

Read the rest of the article here.



And via The Raw Story:



"The ExxonMobil Pegasus tar sands pipeline spilled around
185,000 gallons of tar sands, undisclosed toxic chemicals and
contaminated water in Mayflower, Arkansas yesterday.


Like many tar sands pipelines, Pegasus was actually an older
pipeline
which had its flow reversed. This is also the case for
the Seaway
pipeline in Texas and proposed tar sands pipelines
East through Canada
to New England.

Forcing the evacuation of 20 homes and shutting
down sections
of the interstate highway; hazardous materials team from
the
Office of Emergency Management has contained the spill and is

currently attempting a cleanup.



1000s of gallons of crude oil
erupted from the breach around

3:00 p.m. on Friday, spilling through a
housing subdivision and

in to the town’s storm drainage system, fouling
drainage ditches

and shutting down Highway 365 and Interstate 40.



Residents were evacuated to avoid health hazards from crude

oil fumes
and to keep stray sparks from igniting the standing oil.

Emergency
workers contained the spill by hastily constructing

earthen dams. Read the rest at The Raw Story.

Can you imagine if this was your backyard?  Your HOME?

~Mayflower Arkansas photos from www.facebook.com

UPDATE! 2/4/2013: LOOK---> The Arkansas Oil Spill
Photos the Keystone Cabal Doesn't Want You to See

Quarters! Nickels! Dimes! Gateway to "Death by Vending Machine!"

Stop sleeping in your bed!

Steer clear of vending machines!

And for the love of jeebus! Stay the hell away from the deceptively cute but evil Killer Deer!

Read "What kills more people than Pot?"

~Pic courtesy of "The Internets"

By the way:

"A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response."

"In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough cannabis to induce death."

"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."

~ In The Matter of MARIJUANA RESCHEDULING PETITION
by FRANCIS L YOUNG, Administrative Law Judge
"Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision." for the United States Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) September 6, 1988

"Women On A Mission to End Prohibition!" NORML Women's Alliance of Canada at the 2012 Global Marijuana March

As I wrote about in my last post - "Women Will End Prohibition (Again!)" - The NORML Women's Alliance of Canada was selected to be the Grand Marshals of the 14th. Toronto Global Marijuana March. Held on the first Saturday of May every year, the peaceful protest is attended by upwards of 20, 000 anti-prohibitionists and people celebrating the Cannabis plant and all of Hemp's wonderful benefits and uses.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, after a week of heavy rain throughout Southern Ontario it was quite a relief that the bright and shining Sun had come out to greet us!   Preparing to begin our trek throughout the streets of downtown T.O. and before our group had a chance to completely assemble, our Alliance was split up at the launch point - the energy of the growing crowd pushed forward and the marchers were raring to get started! Fortunately it all worked out as those of us not right at the front remained to accompany our Prohibition-era Ford from Good Fellas Limo.  Complete with our very own "Al Capone" Chauffeur, the sweet ride was able to idle throughout the parade route and catch the eye of interested onlookers.

Michelle our Belle - the most photographed woman of the day! 
And our very own "Al Capone" - Thanks Harold!

The Torontoist reports:

The day’s most creative protest was staged by the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws (NORML) Women’s Alliance. The NORML women dressed up in 1920s costumes and were followed by a car of a similar vintage, driven by a man dressed as Al Capone. According to NORML media spokesperson Andrea Matrosovs, the Women’s Alliance wanted to make plain the connection between the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s and ’30s—which was a boon to organized crime—and marijuana prohibition today.

“When women gathered together in the ’20s and ’30s, they made things happen,” she said. “And it was to the benefit of families, and the dis-benefit of organized criminals.”
Matrosovs was somewhat unique among Saturday’s demonstrators. She doesn’t smoke marijuana at all. Her interest in legalization comes purely as a result of her social-science background and the time she spent as a high school teacher.

“If we could legalize, regulate, and tax, then we could take those revenues that are currently going to organized crime and direct them to good things,” she said. “My background is as an educator…and it bothered me that our youth were being funneled into alcohol, because that’s legal in our society at age 19, where marijuana isn’t.”

*****

 

MyETVmedia interview with Jodie Emery of Cannabis Culture and the NORML's Women's Alliance at the 14th. annual Toronto Global Marijuana March @ Queen's Park.



The Grid covers the Global Marijuana March:. 

"An estimated 15,000 people gathered at Queen’s Park on Saturday afternoon for the Toronto Global Marijuana March, and The Grid was there to find out why the event is so popular.

"Along the way, we encountered members of the NORML Women’s Alliance of Canada, who gathered in elegant 1920s costumes to protest the current prohibition of marijuana..."

*****

Our very own 1920-30's Nurse - On Duty!

Got a giggle...

Pretty pot leaf/CN Tower flying foam

Yes we do!  That's our Twitter handle: @NORML_CWA

"Dads for Marijuana" was also there.

The awesome black and neon signs were made by Jack Skidd.

NORML MariJane GanjaGirl, her smile can light up a room.

Kelly, our fearless leader!

Puff Mama with the Killin' Time Band

Once again, my camera failed me but not before I took the above pictures* leading up to the start of the March.  I'd like to thank Wendel Grant and Alison Myrden for letting me share some of their great photos (below) from the awesome day, Thanks!  (To see these great pictures enlarged, "Click" on them.)

NORML Women getting approval from the growing crowds
and passing motorists.

The Grand Parade Marshals!

Leading the way!

Alison's Photos

Alison and the NORML Woman's Alliance marching alongside Jodie Emery.

Cannabis = Zero deaths.  Ever.

Kelly and Alison - NORML Women inspiring us all!

It was a privilege to gather with such an incredible group of people who honestly care about our fellow human beings and Mother Earth.   Kudos to you, my fellow NORML Women, I'm glad to have marched alongside every single one of you.  Just like the Sabine's contributed to end the Noble Experiment all those decades ago, NORML Women will campaign** to bring about an end to the unjust Drug War today.  We're "Women On a Mission to End Prohibition" -  take that, Steve! 

**What's up next for the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada?
The Treating Yourself Expo in Toronto May 25, 26, and 27th. - See you there!  Also, don't forget to LIKE our new Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter.

*For more than 300 great photos from the event see the2012 Global Marijuana March Flickr page by Cannabis Culture Editor Jeremiah Vandermeer.

I'm Gonna Party With Zach Braff

Kudos to actor @ZachBraff who "Tweeted" his support for an end to the legal prohibitions criminalizing marijuana and gay marriage. I find that there's a connection to be made about people against both of these Human Rights.


(Click screenshot to enlarge.)

Women Will End Prohibition (Again!)

For anyone who didn't get a chance to watch "Prohibition" - the phenomenal 3 part documentary by Ken Burns and Kim Novick - you're in luck! PBS has gone all out and created an absolutely amazing web experience worthy of sharing so go check it out, and tell your friends!

Watch Women of PROHIBITION Pauline Sabin on PBS. (Click text if video is not displaying) See more from Ken Burns.

NORML reports: "In May 1929, Pauline Sabin founded the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR). It was a platform for women who were demanding the repeal of the 18th amendment forbidding the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Known as the Sabin women, the leadership of the WONPR consisted primarily of the nonpartisan wives of leaders of American industry. In a little over a year, almost 1.5 million Sabin Women were publicly calling for an end to prohibition-inspired violence and political malfeasance related to the illegal production of alcohol." ~

The parallels between The Noble Experiment and The War on Drugs are glaringly apparent. The NORML Women's Alliance of Canada has been chosen* to lead Toronto's 2012 Global Marijuana March and would like to bring attention to the obvious by dressing in attire reminiscent of the 1920's and 30's prohibition era. Women were paramount to the success of repealing Alcohol Prohibition, and we are going to do it again regarding the Prohibition of Marijuana! It's time.

Jodie Emery is one of the strongest leaders in the cannabis legalization movement. Wife to imprisoned activist Marc Emery, Jodie has become a voice to be reckoned with in her own right. Mrs. Emery will also be at the front leading the Global Marijuana March alongside the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada.

*****

Follow the NORML Women's Alliance on Twitter: NORMLWomen'sAlliance - @NORML_CWA Join and "LIKE" the new Facebook Page for the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada. * - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - APRIL 27, 2012 The NORML Women’s Alliance of Canada Leads The 14th Global Marijuana March The NORML Women’s Alliance of Canada is pleased to announce we have been chosen to lead the 14th Toronto Global Marijuana March (GMM) throughout the city on Saturday, May 5, 2012. The GMM takes place annually in over 100 cities across the globe and will attract upwards of 20,000 cannabis enthusiasts and anti-prohibitionists to downtown Toronto alone. We believe that women will once again be a successful, driving force towards ending prohibition. In the spirit of the day the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada has chosen to honour those women who bravely campaigned for an end to alcohol prohibition in the 1920s and ‘30s by dressing in attire reminiscent of this era. The peaceful protest will assemble at 11 a.m. and launch at 12 p.m., north of Queen's Park North at Charles Street. It will traverse north to Bloor Street, east to Yonge Street, south to Gerrard Street and east to Church Street. After the march, the crowd will disperse to several marijuana-friendly events across the city. Members of the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada are mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, and caregivers of this nation. We are calling on the Canadian Government to end cannabis prohibition, re-prioritize spending to focus on our families, education, health care and a mandate to protect Canadians from being damaged any further by this harmful, tried and failed government policy. The NORML Women’s Alliance of Canada is a non-partisan coalition of socially and geographically diverse women from coast to coast to coast who believe that marijuana prohibition is a destructive and hypocritical policy that undermines the Canadian people, sends a mixed and false message to our youth, and destroys the cherished principles of personal liberty, freedom and sovereignty belonging to all Canadians. NORML Women’s Alliance of Canada

The Smarter Brand of Justice - Actor Russell Brand Solves the Failed War on Drugs in 1 Minute & 35 Seconds

Via George Stroumboulopoulos:

Russell Brand's Latest Role: A Defender Of Harm Reduction Drug Strategies

"Addressing members of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee in the U.K., Brand argued bluntly that treating drug addiction as an illness rather than as a criminal activity is not only a humane approach, but a sensible one that will "prevent people from committing crimes." (Seriously, go read the whole Strombo Health post.)



Forty years after Nixon's War on (People Who Use Certain) Drugs infected countries the world over, the truth is being recognized and shared everywhere; prohibition has failed and government cannot incarcerate people out of addiction.

Four Decades of overly punitive criminal convictions haven't achieved their goal of reducing recidivism and an ever-expanding mountain of expert research and evidence correlates that Harm Reduction programs like Rehab, Therapy and even Yoga, trumps imprisonment significantly in terms of reaching and maintaining sobriety.  Plus, these Harm Reduction strategies also cost less than keeping (primarily non-violent) drug offenders locked up where they are less likely to have access to adequate therapeutic and job skills programs. 

Also worth discussing, what will become of us now with the passing of Bill C-10?  I hope Canadians are prepared for the influx of recreational cannabis users, small time pot growers, and illegal substance abusers (some who are sadly victims of mental illness and childhood abuse) into our taxpayer supported penal institutions.  Rehab spots behind bars were scarce before, and I'm afraid we ain't seen nothin' yet!  Correctional Service of Canada and the Justice Department might as well change their names to Punishment Disservice of Harperland and the "Tough on Crime!" Ministry respectively.

Drug abuse, whether it is for illegal drugs, alcohol, prescription drugs, etc. is uniquely personal.  Treat the person as a patient and they have a fighting chance to manage and successfully beat their addiction(s).  Criminalize and convict them, and it further damages their mental state and exponentially hinders their potential for recovery.

Just because a person uses drugs does not mean they are undeserving of compassion, and realistically our drug policies must reflect that truth.  So Thank You, Mr. Brand, for bringing even more attention to the failure of the War on Drugs, your passionate testimony is much appreciated by those of us campaigning for the reform of our national and global drug laws. 

Hey Harper! Get Off My Lawn!

My response to this article:

It's time for Canada and all nations to admit that the War On Drugs is lost, in fact, just like The Noble Experiment it could never have been won to begin with.  We do not respect the laws of drug prohibition because they are unenforceable.  To prohibit the use of a plant that we have used for thousands of years for medicine, relaxation, paper, food, fabric, fuel, etc. is not only unjust, but an impossible endeavor.
 
I respect laws that are created to keep society safe from truly violent and dangerous people.  As a Mother I believe a majority of police and judicial resources must be focused on those who truly pose a threat to society.   But the law of Cannabis Prohibition is so ridiculous that it causes disrespect for the law and law enforcement, which is a shame because there are many great police, lawyers, judges, etc. out there who really do care about people, most notably members of L.E.A.P. ~ Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Politicians must concede that they cannot legislate human behavior when it comes to what we eat and drink, how we medicate or what we grow in our gardens.  It is the ultimate persecution of our freedom(1) of personal autonomy and wreaks of ownership!  We're not perfect, we're Human, we use drugs, we always have, deal with it!  The mere notion that government believes laws can stop plants from growing in the ground is ludicrous.

End the Drug War that empowers and enriches cartels and organized criminals.  Provide truthful facts to our children about all substances and regulate the sale of drugs to adults.  Revive the farming of the Industrial and food grade Hemp plant the world over so we can help our environment and conquer famine and malnutrition.  We can concentrate on more important things like our disastrous economy, health care, school boards and old and failing infrastructures.  Every taxpayer dollar we spend fighting this unwinnable war is a dollar stolen from proven programs that really do help support the health and safety of all of us.  When it comes to paying for helicopters flying through the air searching for plants(2) or schools and hospitals, I know without a doubt where I want my tax dollars to go!


via YouTube: David Bratzer, a police officer in British Columbia, Canada, says he has seen how marijuana prohibition and the failed "war on drugs" directly lead to the growth of organized crime and cause gruesome illegal market violence. David is a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, which anyone can join for free at CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com



"The Law Makes Us Lawless"
The awesome Ken Burns and Lynn Novick documentary
"Prohibition" can be viewed at PBS online.

"I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the Customs Agent. I am the Coast guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable." 

~ Alexander Shulgin PhD, Chemist and author

(1) The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/page-1.htmlhttp://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/page-1.html

(2)  “Globally, the annual risk of eradication is continually below 10% for each crop [of opium poppy, coca bush, and cannabis plant].” source

“Get off my lawn!” - Stay out of my business, my personal life.

Contest-y Goodness!

What's better than pre-ordering Mark Haskell Smith's new book "Heart of Dankness: Underground Botanists, Outlaw Farmers, and the Race for the Cannabis Cup"?

Why, that would be receiving a Goodie Bag and contest entry for pre-ordering Mark's new book, Heart of Dankness!

Broadway Books is happy to celebrate its new publication and anyone who pre-orders a copy of Heart of Dankness before April 3rd. – via ANY retailer – will receive a Goodie Bag with rolling papers, a signed bookplate, and an entry to win a copy of Jason King’s amazing Cannabible boxed set. It's Contest-y Goodness!

Pic courtesy of http://heartofdankness.tumblr.com/

"In Heart of Dankness: Underground Botanists, Outlaw Farmers, and the Race for the Cannabis Cup author Mark Haskell Smith guides us through the fascinating world (and underworld) of high-end cannabis. While reporting on the Super Bowl/Mardi Gras of the marijuana world, the international competition held annually in Amsterdam known as the Cannabis Cup for the Los Angeles Times, Smith sampled some rare high-grade weed in an Amsterdam coffee-shop, which left him relaxed, happy, lucid, and energetic—anything but stoned. He realized this weed had a superior smell, taste, and high, the “dankness” so sought after by true pot connoisseurs. This intrigued him so much that he set off on a quest for what brings about these qualities.

Also, stay tuned for my review!

"What does “Dank” mean to you?"

Fan****ingtastic! MP Pat Martin Just Used The Word I Keep Using!

Finally posting this, the baby woke up just before I was finished and then the day went speeding by.....

1:39 A.M. - So at this late, or early depending how you see it, hour, it's up for debate on the validity of some expletive enhanced Tweets sent from NDP MP Pat Martin's Twitter Account.

Update: Awesome. It's him alright!)

Here's my "just too long to Tweet" response:

Imagine that! @PatMartinMP is Human! Admit it, you've probably used that word talking about Politics.

I was watching the Bill C10 clause by clause Senate debate on CPAC and a Conservative MP complained about how long it was taking to go through it all. So I say out loud to myself (and to the oblivious baby, who's too enthralled with an Elmo book to take any exception to my cussing) with the sheer gusto that this MP is going to hear my reply to his whining:

"Well! That's what happens when you mash NINE fucking crime bills into one big whopping wad of FAIL!"

Sure he didn't catch my response, but I felt better putting my opinion out there into the Universe. Indeed, the cursing solidified my point.

Crime is complex and justice demands that each case is handled individually and fairly. We employ Judicial Discretion because it is imperative to democracy. Bill C-10 is overly broad "You bad! - Go to jail!" Cave Man thinking. It's actually dangerously stupid to treat something as important as our legal and correctional system so recklessly. You know it, Steve knows it, the media knows it, we all know it! I mean, what could be dumber than combining crime legislation?

There's a reason crime is lower in Canada than in the United States, it's because we've resisted the ideological temptation of locking up non-violent first time offenders for long periods of time when community supervision or probation would be more beneficial. It's called a Correctional System for a reason, the goal is to correct, not to make one's mental state so broken and fragile that it's no surprise when people re-offend. Not only does helping people turn their lives around make our communities safer, it is also exponentially more cost effective. (I could really get into it about the Prison Farms program here, but I digress)

Prisons are also increasingly becoming warehouses for the mentally ill and alcohol & drug addicted. With a lack of programming people are released back into our communities without the benefit of medical and psychological attention and they get into trouble all over again. Ask yourself, do you want Canadians to be helped while they serve their sentence so when they get out of prison they stay out? Or do you want people released unstable, angry and ripe for recidivism?

We've seen the social and economic disaster unfold before our very eyes in the United States over the last four decades from one size fits all persecutions and yet the Harper Conservatives still insist on careening down the same destructive path, our safety and hard earned tax dollars be damned!

Honestly, if the Conservatives had drafted really good separate bills pertaining to violent crimes, especially those committed upon children, then I would wholeheartedly support them. I don't play to party lines when it comes to the best method of keeping our kids safe and reducing crime. I want the smartest, most effective laws on the books for the benefit of my own kids and my fellow Canadians. Alas, because C-10 is a "Everything plus the kitchen sink" omnibus bill the only smart, logical, reality-based choice we have is to fight against it.

Anything less would be fucking criminal.

"It represents a huge step backwards; rather than prioritizing public safety, it emphasizes retribution above all else. It's an approach that will make us less safe, less secure, and ultimately, less Canadian." ~ From "Bar association blasts tough-on-crime bill" ~ Organization representing Canada's lawyers says proposed Bill C-10 has been rushed, ignores evidence and will create out-of-control costs

Also see: Canadians: Don't Be Tricked by the "Safe Streets and Communities Act" - It's Omnibusted!

and

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

After Christy Clark said she supports Harper's Crime Bill, a group of 40 concerned citizens organized by http://www.LeadNow.ca gathered in front of her office to "Just Say NO to C-10!" and show that tens of thousands of Canadians have signed a petition opposed to this omnibus crime bill. As of November 17th, 111,000 Canadians have signed the petition! Sign the petition and get updated on future activities at http://leadnow.ca/

Avaaz also has a Petition to stop the Harper crime bill, over 102, 000 have signed!

UPDATE: Once again thumbing their noses at democracy, Tory MP Goguen moves motion to end committee hearings on omnibus crime bill

'This puts the mock in democracy,' says NDP MP Jack Harris about the Conservation manoeuvre ~ http://www.hilltimes.com/news/legislation/2011/11/17/tory-mp-goguen-moves-motion-to-end-committee-hearings-on-omnibus-crime-bill/28825

Image Via the NAACP:

"The United States is the world's leader in incarceration with 2.3 million people currently in the nation's prisons or jails -- a 500% increase over the past thirty years. These trends have resulted in prison overcrowding and state governments being overwhelmed by the burden of funding a rapidly expanding penal system, despite increasing evidence that large-scale incarceration is not the most effective means of achieving public safety."

"In addition to the extreme human toll this is taking on our Nation, the financial costs are staggering: The National Association of State Budget Officers estimates that states spent a record $51.7 billion on corrections in FY2008, or 1 in every 15 general fund dollars. Adding local, federal and other funding brings the national correctional spending total to $68 billion. This is money that cannot be spent on education, health, transportation, or other projects that benefit society as a whole." ~ NAACP Supports Legislation To Help States Reduce Prison Population