Recently, you ran a front page story about: “Police agencies don’t test thousands of rape kits” (Nov. 11, 2012).
This is not just a local issue. Throughout the United States rape kits are going unused and murders are going unsolved for one major reason: the War on Drugs. I urge the readers to view this short video featuring the former LAPD Deputy Chief of Police Stephen Downing: http://tinyurl.com/b3juxa4.
There is no financial incentive for police agencies to solve murders or rapes, however, there is major incentives to confiscate drug money. Before the drug war, police were credited with solving 91 percent of the murders in the U.S. Today, they solve 61 percent.
In drug transactions, there are willing buyers and willing sellers. In rapes or murders there are unwilling victims. I want our police to protect me against people who want to harm me against my will. Not myself.
Kirk Muse
Mesa
chatmandu002 posted at 5:17 pm on Sun, Nov 18, 2012.
Kirk,
I would suggest that you look up the war on drugs before you do a comparison between rape and the war on drugs. The war on drugs has been around for many more years than DNA profiling which is the major reason for testing rape kits. Although we would hope that all rape kits would be tested there is a cost component involved. I don't think the police departments are intentionally not testing rape because they don't want to solve the crimes. Your letter seems more concerned with the war on drugs than the testing of rape kits.
chatmandu002 posted at 5:54 pm on Sun, Nov 18, 2012.
Kirk,
After re-reading your letter, my first comment to your letter was off some what. I understand the point you were making, but I still support continuing the war on drugs and not legalizing more illicit drugs.
drug war fighter posted at 8:30 pm on Sun, Nov 18, 2012.
The video I gave a link to discusses why rapes and murders are going unsolved.
Watch the video.
TempeTownToilet posted at 9:52 am on Mon, Nov 19, 2012.
Kirk Muse's point is the cops would rather hunt down "drug war" criminals because when they arrest them they can seize all their assets without a trial and keep them for the police department to use under Federal and state RICO laws.
And once the cops steal their assets they can purchase all kinds of cool toys for themselves with the stolen assets. These toys usually are expensive cars for the cops to take home and drive after work.
If the cops would rather hunt down "drug war" criminals because with the RICO laws they can steal all their assets without a trial.
The can't do that if they arrest a rapist or murders. All they can do is put the rapist or murder in prison and they can't steal a dime from the rapist or murderer like they can with "drug war" criminals.
Cops are like everybody else, they usually go after the MONEY.
And in the case of the "drug war" the RICO laws make the cops go after people the commit victimless "drug war" crimes because those people have money they can steal.
The cops don't have an incentive to hunt down rapists, murders or other real criminals because they don't have any money the cops can steal.
drug war fighter posted at 6:34 pm on Mon, Nov 19, 2012.
Tempe Town Toilet: Right on. This is exactly why rapes and murders go unsolved.
Plus rapers and murderers are violent. Marijuana seller usually are not.
When big pot busts are made it makes the front page. Rapes and murders are usually on page 8.[smile]
Rich posted at 9:35 am on Tue, Nov 20, 2012.
The problem is larger, victimless crimes as a whole, and the cost is massive in all areas of society. It is used for societal control and engineering, to find ways to circumvent individual freedom and control people. It leads to a nation of sheep, which skews elections, breaks down the legal system and circumvents the basic structures of government, leading to anarchy. It exists because the people in control are hungry for money and power, and the excuse is that it is for your own good. It escalates the cost of many things to the point where harming people to do it becomes profitable, where, in an open market, that would not be the case, as in drugs, but in pornography, tobacco and numerous other ares as well. It cedes too much power to the government, escalates the problem it sets out to cure and warps the entire concept of a free society.
VofReason posted at 1:57 pm on Tue, Nov 20, 2012.
Thank you Kirk. I mean, who ever heard of someone getting killed in dealing drugs, protecting drug turf or overdosing on said drugs anyway. Oh wait.........
Rich posted at 10:28 pm on Tue, Nov 20, 2012.
VofR thanks for proving my point. People don't get killed, have 'turf' and rarely overdose on legal, well regulated products, many of which are more deadly than drugs, Getting killed dealing, protecting turf and from overdoses (because drugs lack proper quality control) are all products of the 'War on Drugs' not drugs themselves. You deftly prove Kirk's point, nice of you.
Mike McClellan posted at 6:34 pm on Thu, Nov 22, 2012.
War on Drugs is such a misnomer, but we ought to define just what we want to make legal as an alternative to the war . . .
marijuana? seems we're moving in that direction.
But what about meth, crack, destructive drugs like those, the ones where the real violence is happening, both in the so-called "war" and by those using the drugs?
Do those of you who seem to be calling for an end to this war want to legalize those drugs?
Because, unlike some of the other currently illegal drugs, those two create their own violence apart from the war between dealers and law enforcement.
And if you do legalize those drugs, do you really believe the cartels will simply pack up and give up?
And how do you "regulate" products like these?
Rich posted at 11:11 pm on Thu, Nov 22, 2012.
Mike,
How do you regulate anything? You're a retired English teacher, what created 'Kubla Khan', 'Naked Lunch', and 'Howl'. You like 'The Great Gatsby' that's only alcohol. The latest ones don't have the pedigree, but where can they take us? The artist doesn't actually care much, the dream is all, and that dream gives us a 'Starry Night' with a little absinth. It's legal, you try it. Maybe then you write 'The Fairy Queen', paint " I Raro te Oviri, " dance like Isodora Duncan, play a guitar like Jimi Henddrix, and do your thing your way, without the (Euphemism created from the inventor of the flush toilet and a dice game, could the program here be any stupider?) you should have taught it Mike, with the freedom of art at your back. How do you regulate it? Make sure it's clean, tax it if you feel you have to, and let people be themselves. As a teacher in an artistic discipline, that is, perhaps, what you should have taught. I had to teach it to my children all alone, because people like you sucked up the tax money I paid for you to do it.
bobunf posted at 12:27 am on Sat, Nov 24, 2012.
Remember the 55 mile an hour speed limit? It taught the American people that you didn't have to obey the speed limit. Drive 5 miles an hour over the speed limit on any highway and you'll be obstructing traffic.
A similar phenomenon occurs with marijuana prohibition. It teaches the American people that illegal drugs are not dangerous, that the law is absurd and obeying it is dumb - starting in middle school.
The prohibition of marijuana doesn't stop anybody from using marijuana, and encourages the use of other dangerous drugs.
After over 40 years, over a Trillion dollars, tens of millions of our citizens imprisoned, police and border patrol corruption, the loss of some of our freedoms, numerous other ills (as pointed out above) and no result at all - after all that, it's way past time to stop. The people of Colorado and Washington have lit the way.
Stop the stupid drug war.
As alcohol prohibition created the mafia, the drug war has created organizations devoted to selling drugs. As with the mafia, it will take half a century and more to undue the harm. That doesn't mean we shouldn't start.
DrJCA1 posted at 11:52 am on Sun, Nov 25, 2012.
Generally speaking, the last real "war" we had on anyting was WW2. After that, all we have are playful adventures against communism, dictators, drugs, poverty, diseases, and all else we say we want to "eliminate". What a joke. I was the medical director at a state prison years ago and saw first hand why this so-called "war" on drugs is not working. When the slime gets arrested for selling drugs, he then receives free room and board, free medical and dental care, a gym to play ball in, a library to lounge around in, free college courses, recreation time, and a TV in-cell. Terrific punishment for dirt-bags who sell this garbage to kids (I have no problem with imbecile adults who choose to use drugs. Let them killl themselves and save the rest of us the cost of treating them).
For those of you who do eschew the legalization of all drugs, I ask the following question: do we really need more substances that will add to the number of OD's, impaired driving, ER visits (most of whom have no insurance), domestic violence, or neighborhood street crimes (you really think that legalizing it will decrease the number of users?). Making something legal does not necessarily reduce it's cost. Most druggies have little to no legal income, so crime will NOT go down. Stop and get some real information and facts before opening your mouth. By the way, I love the folks who use the garbage internet (al la the above mentioned video) to "prove" anything.