home
NY Governor Used Cocaine, Doesn't Apologize | 78 comments (78 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

This site opposes the war on drugs (1.00 / 2) (#34)
by Jeralyn on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 10:55:49 PM EST
and politicians who call their own limited experimentation a mistake can hardly be expected to be progressives on the war on drugs.

A politican who realizes and expresses that many people use drugs without having their lives fall apart or be adversely impacted by it later in life is more likely to pursue a sane and rational drug policy.

Most of the comments here are an embarassment to read. I'd expect to find them on an ultra right wing blog.

You are overstating your case (5.00 / 1) (#44)
by thinkingfella on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 11:22:36 PM EST
I am opposed to the war on drugs as well. But there is a difference in my mind between being opposed to the war on drugs, and being opposed to regret over using drugs.

I have used drugs. I have had positive experiences, and negative ones. I am a productive and responsible member of society.
I am close to the radical side of progressive politics.

I can appreciate and relate to Paterson's viewpoint, and Obama's as well. I don't see one as being superior to the other. I just don't see Obama's expression of regret as being something worthy of criticism unless you have some evidence he was deliberately misleading or dishonest, and like many of your readers, I think you are over reaching a bit on this one, with all due respect.
 

[ Parent ]

My views are based (5.00 / 2) (#52)
by Jeralyn on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 12:55:14 AM EST
solely on my 30+ years of defending persons charged with drug crimes.

[ Parent ]
I (none / 0) (#74)
by Claw on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 10:24:32 AM EST
Have fewer years defending against drug crimes but many of my clients regret their drug use even as they continue to use.  I'll take more Paterson, too, but there was no reason to slam Obama for expressing regret over his cocaine use.  

[ Parent ]
true and sanity also includes (5.00 / 1) (#53)
by hellothere on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 01:04:02 AM EST
help for those who are addicts. if this addressed early on, then perhaps our prison rates would drop.

[ Parent ]
true sanity also includes the traffickers (5.00 / 1) (#57)
by Jeralyn on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:09:10 AM EST
30 years to life is excessive for any drug offender.

[ Parent ]
the drug laws in new york are (5.00 / 1) (#69)
by hellothere on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 09:06:49 AM EST
partiuclarly offensive. it brings nothing to society that i see. the stats on prisons in the usa is an embarrassment.

[ Parent ]
which is why the Paterson remarks (none / 0) (#79)
by Jeralyn on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 12:30:19 PM EST
are so interesting. Is he willing to spend political capital on repealing the Rockefeller laws?

I mentioned that the day it was announced he would be taking over.

[ Parent ]

i sure hope so! (none / 0) (#82)
by hellothere on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 02:03:37 PM EST


[ Parent ]
Of course... (none / 0) (#38)
by Alec82 on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 11:07:53 PM EST
...politicians that have problems with retroactive applications of sentencing reform "in principle" are unlikely to be vigorous advocates of drug law reform.  I have yet to hear a single frontrunner call for what could accurately be called an abolition of the drug war, although if I remember correctly Gravel was adamantly opposed to it.  
 Ultimately, it will be the sinking costs of the drug war that end it, as it will be with our new security state.  The problem with the Democrats has always been that they are too cowardly to support reform for fear of being labeled soft on crime. See, for example, the great state of California, home to some of the most draconian sentences on the planet, enabled by the state Democratic Party.          

[ Parent ]
It is interesting how (none / 0) (#76)
by TalkRight on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 11:07:45 AM EST
"few elite" from the so called left wing people seem they have the right to layout the case for every progressive to define him.
who call their own limited experimentation a mistake can hardly be expected to be progressives on the war on drugs.

May I ask how will loose canons stop the war.! Progressive doesn't mean to have liberty to do "anything" that was called imporper in the past.

[ Parent ]

NY Governor Used Cocaine, Doesn't Apologize | 78 comments (78 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

  • Premium Ads

  • Blog Ads

  • Contribute To TalkLeft

    donate to TalkLeft