My War on Drugs
Watching episodes of "Drugs, Inc." on National Geographic makes me think about my plans for fighting the war on drugs. My idea is a vigilante, "extra-curricular" war, waged by former military members with weapons and insurgency training. I think law enforcement might be willing to share their intelligence with them and a lot of times that information is known throughout the community. It may be that news people know - or have heard - about people within the structure but have no reason to write about it without a major bust (or can't write about it because it would be slander without an arrest or legal allegation).
I think there are so many ways the fight could be fought. I mostly think about using sniper shots to take out criminals from afar. But there are also more devious, up close methods like poison and improper medication. The most difficult (but perhaps most crucial) would be to get to people in prison and shut down those networks. Perhaps, if intelligence work is implemented, the criminal networks can be used to pass death up to the shot-callers locked away. Either that or systematically destroy the support networks around the prison systems so they can no longer get their messages out.
Of course, I have other ideas about prison and "treating" or torturing hardened criminals. Interestingly enough, I have a lot of compassion for prisoners; there is no place for redemption in American prisons: the people who are there are (generally) not going to learn anything good or compassionate and they are not encouraged to. It is my own personal belief that if the country really focused inward on the prison population and reached out to them in a real way, making them part of society, even in their incarcerated state, it might change the nature of prison and what they - and we - are able to do as a society.
I think we need to try out the modern, "liberal" prison model that they have in some European countries, as well as working to educate our prison population as much as possible. Offering them basic intellectual educational opportunities as well as vocational, hands-on type training (horticulture, landscaping, furniture-making, metal-working) might open their minds (to themselves and the world) and might change them in a fundamental way that absolute idleness never will.
And for anyone that says it's punishment and they should be denied these opportunities, consider these things: 1. They could be more useful to society if they are educated. 2. Changing the culture of prison could change the effect it has on those people who aren't going to be there forever, which improves our larger society when they re-integrate. 3. Their punishment is being denied liberty, one of the fundamental freedoms. And if you don't think that's bad enough, try staying in your room continuously for 24 hours. And prison definitely isn't as nice as your room.
I think there are so many ways the fight could be fought. I mostly think about using sniper shots to take out criminals from afar. But there are also more devious, up close methods like poison and improper medication. The most difficult (but perhaps most crucial) would be to get to people in prison and shut down those networks. Perhaps, if intelligence work is implemented, the criminal networks can be used to pass death up to the shot-callers locked away. Either that or systematically destroy the support networks around the prison systems so they can no longer get their messages out.
Of course, I have other ideas about prison and "treating" or torturing hardened criminals. Interestingly enough, I have a lot of compassion for prisoners; there is no place for redemption in American prisons: the people who are there are (generally) not going to learn anything good or compassionate and they are not encouraged to. It is my own personal belief that if the country really focused inward on the prison population and reached out to them in a real way, making them part of society, even in their incarcerated state, it might change the nature of prison and what they - and we - are able to do as a society.
I think we need to try out the modern, "liberal" prison model that they have in some European countries, as well as working to educate our prison population as much as possible. Offering them basic intellectual educational opportunities as well as vocational, hands-on type training (horticulture, landscaping, furniture-making, metal-working) might open their minds (to themselves and the world) and might change them in a fundamental way that absolute idleness never will.
And for anyone that says it's punishment and they should be denied these opportunities, consider these things: 1. They could be more useful to society if they are educated. 2. Changing the culture of prison could change the effect it has on those people who aren't going to be there forever, which improves our larger society when they re-integrate. 3. Their punishment is being denied liberty, one of the fundamental freedoms. And if you don't think that's bad enough, try staying in your room continuously for 24 hours. And prison definitely isn't as nice as your room.
posted by Michael | 12:22 AM
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