Blog Dec 31, 2009
Drug War Update, the year 2008 in review
As far as the war on drugs is concerned, as far as 2008 is concerned we simply conclude that “the beat goes on.” More than $50.8 billion was spent on this never-ending campaign, with the states spending about 60% of the money. Almost 1.9 million were arrested for drug offenses during the year, 831,000 for marijuana alone, mostly possession. Almost 11,000 were incarcerated as a result of their arrest and conviction . As everyone knows, race and gender are of critical importance in…
Blog Dec 30, 2009
Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans Returning Home — Is this Vietnam Revisited or Vietnam Surpassed?
Returning Afghanistan and Iraq veterans are confronting unemployment, housing unavailability, domestic violence, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injuries. Regardless of the number of tours in a war zone these veterans have served, their second war begins following discharge from the military — the war that begins when they return home. Although many of the challenges facing Afghanistan and Iraq veterans are similar to those confronted by Vietnam veterans…
Blog Dec 30, 2009
Do Black Teens Need More Policing?
Why do the news media adore James Alan Fox? He’s never been right. The Northeastern University criminologist perpetuates fossilized 19th century demographic dogmas that measure crime as a function of dark-skinned youth in the population, inflammatory racialized quips branding nonwhite teenagers as “sociopaths” and “superpredators,” and 25 years of horrendously wrong crime predictions. Now Fox and colleagues are back with another media-splashed study (conveniently…
From 2003 through the present, 4,200 Americans died and over 30,000 have been wounded in the war in Iraq. This toll has generated justifiable outrage among those who consider invading Iraq a colossal mistake. Indeed, President-elect Barack Obama, has pledged to end the war soon after taking office. Meanwhile, right here at home from 2003 through 2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports indicate that around 200,000 Americans died from overdoses of illegal drugs; SAMHSA surveys…
I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of reading about the “bailout.” A day does not go by without being reminded how much those already loaded with cash and goodies receive yet another Christmas present from we the taxpayers. I guess the proverbial “last straw” for me was the report by the Associated Press that asked 21 banks that had received at least $1 billion from the government four simple questions: “How much has been spent? What was it spent on? How much is being held in…