Pledge “drugwar”

"I will work to reduce the harm of the drug war but only if 99 other people will do the same."

— Albert "Max" Abramson, free state project activist

Deadline to sign up by: 31^st December 2007
107 people signed up (8 over target)

Country: United States

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The War on Drugs is now costing taxpayers an estimated $69 billion a year, resulting in the incarceration of about 400,000 people (88% for marijuana posession), and getting thousands of innocent bystanders killed. Many inner city neighborhoods have been turned into war zones, whole police departments have been corrupted, and political debate is being stiffled.

Some proponents of the drug war have told us that we shouldn't even discuss decriminalization, claiming that the debate would result in higher rates of drug use among kids. If anything, many of the films shown in our schools have encouraged higher rates of drug use amongst our children. Drug treatment efforts have been limited or even shut down by drug enforcement.

Thousands of innocent bystanders have been killed in botched drug raids, drive by shootings, and gang violence that never happened before the drug war started. Thousands have been imprisoned on drug charges who've never even used drugs. Simply passing a joint around, even if you haven't smoke it, can get you imprisoned. People have been jailed for standing on the wrong street corner, or for guilt by association. Others have been incarcerated simply for taking a phone call.

Thousands of Americans have had their homes raided, dragged into the street while officers tear their homes apart. Houses, boats, planes, businesses, and money have been siezed without trial, without charges even being filed against private citizens.

We're not the only country seeing that drug prohibition isn't working. Spain, Italy, and Luxemburg have decriminalized most drugs. Portugal has legalized all drugs. Holland now tolerates drug use in designated areas, and all have seen their drug crime rates decline tremendously. They still have drug users, but no illegal drug traffic. Theft and violent crime rates have declined, but in America, stepped up drug enforcement is followed by rising crime rates.

Will you get involved in state and local politics, to work to educate people about the harm of the drug war? Will you lobby your legislators and other elected officials about this disasterous policy? Will you show others how to effect change in this country, and the need to do so?

If we fail in this effort, thousands more lives will be ruined. More bystanders will fall prey to gang violence and drug raids gone wrong. More people will lose their homes, and thousands more will be needlessly imprisoned. But if we fail, at least let us say that we did something--to those who've lost loved ones to the drug war--let them remember that we tried to end this nightmare.

Please visit the following links, and let others know about the need to do something about this.

leap.cc
lp.org
freestateproject.org
nhfree.com
norml.org