Essay on Its Time to End the Drug War - 2704 Words

Its Time to End the Drug War Uhh, uhhh B.I.G., P-O, P-P-A No info, for the, DEA Federal agents mad cause Im flagrant Tap my cell, and the phone in the basement -Notorious B.I.G. lyrics from â€Å"Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems† In Christopher Wallace’s (a.k.a. Notorious BIG) â€Å"Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems†, the late rapper from Brooklyn mentions his run in with the police earlier in his life. Christopher Wallace came to be known as arguably the greatest rapper the world has ever heard, but before the days as a famous entertainer Christopher Wallace an average crack dealer in New York. Many youths in the New York area wish to follow his path, and sell drugs in their respective neighborhoods in order to be able to â€Å"roll in style.† Some†¦show more content†¦The United States has always dived in head first to lead the way in the fight against drugs, by creating such policies as the Harrison Act and organizations like the DEA. These attempts by the United States to fight drugs from an enforcement side have created more problems than they have solved. One needs to only look at the past decade or so since George Bush declared his own personal â€Å"war on drugs † to see the damaging effects of the current and old US policy on drugs. Richard Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in 1973 in attempt to combat the increasing drug problem in the United States. Nixon saw the need to coordinate the efforts of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) and the US Customs Service so that there would be a more efficient enforcement of drug laws and regulations. The creation of the DEA has resulted in an emphasis on the law enforcement aspect of the drug problem. This strategy can be seen in the time period from the mid eighties until the present time through an ever-increasing budget of the DEA and local drug enforcement agencies in each state. The National Drug Control budget equals $20 millons and state expenditures in 2000 are over $20 billion dollars per year, which is dramatically up from a figure of slightly above $2 billion dollars in 1980 (Source #1). The 2000% increase in spending has done little to deter the amount of heroin that is trafficked into the US annuallyShow MoreRelatedThe War On Drugs927 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1971 President Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs stating that drug abuse was â€Å"public enemy number one†. Four decades later America is still waging this war that many say can never truly be won. The goal of this campaign has always been the prohibition of drugs, military aid, and military intervention with the stated aim being to define and reduce the illegal drug trade however the tactics used thus far have done little to solve the problem of drugs in the United State. The use of militaryRead More All Drugs Should be Legal for Personal Use Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesAll Drugs Should be Legal for Personal Use The war on drugs is costing us over 100 billion dollars to fight each year, and we’re only fighting a monster which we are making bigger with each punch. It’s not drugs, but drug laws themselves that have created this monster. Drug use is part of human nature, but the unimaginable wealth involved leads to the corruption of the police, judges, and elected officials. There is no reason to have the government regulating what goes into an individual’sRead MoreMovie Analysis : Dancing On The Ashes Of The Drug War Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Drug War,† Eugene Jarecki combines dance, excerpts from political speeches and news-reports, and recent statistics, to assess the current War on Drugs in the United States (U.S.). When this video was released in 2014, the U.S. was the â€Å"jailing-est country on the planet† with 2.3 million prisoners and a higher imprisonment rate for drug crimes than both China and Russia. Over the years, the U.S. has made over 45 million drug-related arrests and spent around $1 trillion dollars on the War on DrugsRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration During The Age Of Colorblindness By Michelle Alexander1665 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander dives into the not so complicated racial issues that plague this country that we tend to ignore. In all of history, African Americans have had to constantly fight for their freedoms and the right to be considered a human being in this society. It’s very troubling looking back and seeing where we have failed people in this country. At the turn of the century, when people began to think that we had left our old ways behind, this book reminds us that we are wrong. Racism is still alive today inRead MoreEssay Why All Drugs Should Be Legalized 1468 Words   |  6 Pagesforgetting the modern day prohibition: The War on Drugs. The History of The war on drugs Why didn’t we listen to Lincoln? People have been using drugs for thousands of years. The first anti-drug laws in the USA were solely based on the public’s views on the laws; mostly racist propaganda. The very first anti-drug law was outlawing Opium in 1870 which was aimed at Chinese immigrants. Then in the 1920’s Cocaine became illegal; which was aimed at Black men. The first drug laws were just about the governmentRead MoreBetween Racism, Political Differences, Economic Status,1625 Words   |  7 PagesBetween racism, political differences, economic status, the War on Drugs, and law enforcement vs the public, is overwhelming. How can all these issued be resolved, when there over 300 million people within the United States? Chicago has become the world murder capital. There were over 700 murders committed in 2016. There have been over 100 murders since the beginning of 2017. There is black on black crime and cops against Black Lives Matter movement circulating the whole U.S. There are riots occurringRead MoreThe Problems with Alcohol and Illegal Drugs Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pages â€Æ' Drugs have been a big part of our history dating back all the way to the 1800’s and beyond. We have to remember that drugs were first introduced as a form of early medication and its intent was to help cure things such as depression, headache, and used as a form of an anesthetic. The biggest downside of the medical drug evolution was the side effect of mass addiction. Although there was a problem with addiction the drugs still were very effective in helping cure many problems. Even with theRead MoreRyan Stone . Mrs. Aikey . English 11 Honors, 6Th Hour.1566 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish 11 Honors, 6th Hour 28 April 2017 The War on Drugs The War on Drugs had hopes of ending drug possession and usage in the 1971 when president Nixon signed the Drug Prevention and Control Act. Through the years, many people have criticized the war for its failures, and others have commended it for its success. Some people want harsher penalties for drug usage and possession, while others want all drugs to become legal. Although the War on Drugs seems to be a solution to a hot button issue,Read MoreWar on Drugs: Americas Fight against Drugs1278 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Americas War on Drugs: In the past 40 years, the American government has spent more than $2.5 trillion dollars on the war against drugs. The huge expenditure has been coupled by numerous the ad campaigns, clean-up on smuggling, and increase in illicit drug users and incarceration rates. Actually, the increase in illicit drug users currently stands at 19.9 million in the United States with huge supplies from Mexico. With the increase in both the expenditure and number of illegal drug users, thereRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?923 Words   |  4 Pages According to Time Magazine, 44% of people in the United States have tried marijuana at least once. Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for various conditions, including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. It wasn’t until 1970 when the Controlled Substances Act passed, classifying marijuana along with heroin and other illegal substances as a Schedule 1 Drug. Yet, people argue that marijuana prohibition is unfair and goes against their civil