Enforce the law, or repeal it!

There are too many criminal federal laws on the books.  Laws that overlap state jurisdiction, laws that are obsolete, laws that put people in jail for no reason.  I am not even talking about the IRS, with its own courts, and rules governing them, I am talking about federal statute, in particular, the drug laws.

Look, most of the Boomers, Xers, etc, cheered on the hard core minimum sentencing, the three strikes laws, and the put them away mentality.  This was BIPARTISAN, by the way, for those of you bemoaning partisanship.  Crime fighting was all the rage.  Governor Clinton executed a murderer who was so mentally disabled, he saved the dessert from his last meal for later.  

We were wrong.

The leviathan that was the federal government was given even greater weapons and steroids with these laws, and they went nuts.  What do we have from it?  A surveillance system that was boosted by 911 and the The Patriot Act, to spy on people.  We have asset forfeiture laws that presume guilt, and, without a trial, confiscate property.  The worst though, is the disaster that has been created by putting non-violent offenders behind bars, sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Sure, various administrations have approached these problems with various solutions.  Some have ignored the laws, especially recently, as state after state decides that the High Times are pretty good times after all.  Especially for the tax revenue brought in.  Here is the thing.  You may give the sleeping giant a sleeping pill, but they wear off.  The laws are still on the books, and at any time, an administration can pick up the laws, and use them.  While I am writing about the drug laws, this applies to gun laws, immigration, and, no doubt, countless other statutes that have no real purpose.

Get rid of the laws!

You know, the marijuana peddlers were warned.  The Attorney General warned that the drug laws needed to be enforced, and could be.  How many wrote their Congressman?  Yeah, I thought so.  There was no outcry for repeal of these laws.  Based on the locales impacted, it probably could have been very simple.  Eliminate the laws on marijuana, or whatever, and have the DOJ review all incarcerations not involving weapons for possible pardons.  Or just repeal the laws, and set up a process for appeals to be worked through the District Courts.  Except.

With everyone hating the tax code. (okay, not everyone, but the vast majority) hating the IRS, and the punitive nature of it, Congress couldn't do REAL tax reform.  Asking Congress to make difficult legislation will be difficult, they can't even agree on immigration reform, with the DACA deadline looming.  (Heck, immigration reform is so difficult that even with a filibuster proof majority in the Senate and a huge majority in the House, (2009-2011) President Obama didn't even think of attempting it.

Look,  I can't speak to the dangers of dope.  I can't speak to its medicinal properties, though they are very well documented.  I really don't care enough to dig in.  Here is what I do know.  Opium based drugs (prescription and not) are deadly.  They are horribly addictive, and that addiction is a crisis in this country.  How often would a cannabis treatment been more than enough for a patient, without the narcotic effects?  Hopefully we will learn, but thinking about lives lost, and lives ruined because of these drugs is horrifying. 

Easing the pressure on the justice system by eliminating laws, rather than letting  them go dormant would be a winner, I think, for Congress, but someone has to take a step.  I would think that the lawmakers from CO, CA, WA, OR, and any state with this looming crisis, would be out making law, rather than whining about enforcement of duly passed, administratively signed, and judicially upheld laws.  Get off your tail and go to work! 

Please.

For the love of Freedom,

for the love of this country,

for the love of justice for all! 

Just do it! 

It is your freakin' job