Video: Ron Paul Says Drug War is Racist
He may not be saying it now, but when Ron Paul was running for president in 1988, he claimed the war on drugs was inherently racist.
In a speech to NORML, the then-Libertarian Party presidential nominee said doctors lobbied for drug laws, giving them a monopoly on providing drugs. Paul also got into the racial aspects of the laws.
"And you know there’s a pretty good case made that this same concept was built in with racism as well. We do know that opium was used by the Chinese and the Chinese were not welcomed in this country,” Paul said. “We do know that the blacks at times use heroin, opium and the laws have been used against them. There have been times that it has been recognized that the Latin Americans use marijuana and the laws have been written against them. But lo and behold the drug that inebriates most of the members of Congress has not been touched because they're up there drinking alcohol.”
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The worse things get the more I lean his way…
The war on drugs was a good concept, but as usual anything our federal government touches goes to shit! It turned out to be just another way to gain profit for them while stomping on personal rights and freedoms. It may well be the event that led us down the path to destruction we are on now. The very first thing they should have done when declaring this “war” was to lock down the borders! Instead they opened them up even more, talk about bass akwards! Ugg!
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~ Thomas Jefferson ~ A mis-quote? Well worth checking out :-)
Dr.Paul has stated this point many times, just look at the number of minorities that are incarcerated for no more than possesion. The only thing more racist that the war on drugs (war on american minorities)would be our war on terror (war on brown people). Ron Paul 2012, end this stupidity
Mark, For many years now, Ron Paul has consistently made the case that the war on drugs, in addition to all other amorphous and ill-defined "wars," is a huge encroachment on personal freedom and liberty. He's made the point that the war on drugs in particular has been extremely costly, practically ineffective, and lands a *hugely* disproportionate number of minorities, particularly in poor communities, in prison. He even co-authored a bill with Barney Frank, H.R. 2306, the "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011."
It's time we have a politician with these kinds of cajones to stand up for freedom and liberty in America. I know who I'm voting for in 2012!