Drug Costs, the bigger picture

Between 1974 and 2001 the percentage of Americans in prison per ca pita had doubled. Details on their stats and backgrounds can be found HERE

In 1970 the "War on Drugs" was officially federal policy. Coincidence? Approximately 25% of those in prisons are there on drug, not "drug related," charges. (Cited HERE) From yet another report we get this: "According to a federal survey of jail inmates, in 2002, of the 96,359 violent offenders in jail, 37.6% used alcohol at the time of their offense, 21.8% used drugs, and 47.2% used alcohol or drugs; of the 112,895 property offenders in jail that year, 28.5% used alcohol at the time of their offense, 32.5% used drugs, and 46.8% used alcohol or drugs; of the 112,447 drug offenders in jail that year, 22.4% used alcohol at the time of their offense, 43.2% used drugs, and 51.7% used drugs or alcohol at the time of their offense." Truth be told, I haven't touched an "illegal drug" in almost 20 years, not because they are "illegal" but because I do not like their effects on my consciousness. Yet we sell alcohol on street corners, glorify it's usage and overturned prohibition. Did incarceration rise and all of the crazies come out with the repeal of prohibition, no... would everyone become a junkie if the "war on drugs" was ended...nope. According to the American Corrections Association, the average daily cost per state prison inmate per day in the US is $67.55. State prisons held 249,400 inmates for drug offenses in 2006. That means it cost states approximately $16,846,970 per day to imprison drug offenders, or $6,149,144,050 per year.

One more fun fact, in 1984 the first "private prison" was opened in Tennessee. Look at that graph above again...see it. Crime does pay, depending on where you sit. What will you do, when what you do is no longer condoned. In this time of deficit, do we really need to spend $19 billion to enforce and $6.15 billion on punishment of this? To see this years direct cost per second, you can go HERE

I may revisit this topic as I finish my reading on "health care" and prescription costs, as reform is thrust upon us, and the potential costs of trying to synthesize the effects of mother natures medicine.

Jason

III

PS - My main point is to question the "official story," no matter your personal beliefs and perspectives. I have no love for drugs, druggies and drug dealers.

My only comments on Fort Hood

Remember the slain, not who did the slaying. In so many times throughout history we have made household names instead of pariahs of the perpetrators of similar instances. I will reserve personal thoughts on this other than a solemn, somber memory of a horrible day in our history by a coward, may he find the end of a very short rope very quickly.

Read memories of the slain HERE

Jason

III

Final Request?

In a last ditch effort of "civilly acceptable" areas to address my opposition, I wrote all of my federal legislators with a message similar to the one below.



Dear Sir,

I cannot stress how much I disagree with the current idea of a "bailout" package. Granting more power to the Treasury department and Federal Reserve is the exact opposite of what directions we need to go as a country. The financial meltdown the economists of the Austrian School predicted has arrived and we need to heed the warnings of "Mises", "CATO", and other conservatives of free market, limited government. I cannot and will not support ANY member of congress, or local seat who votes to affirm this disastrous path. I will do everything in my power to make sure that any oppositions to those who vote for this bailout are successful. Thank you for your time, please consider your constituents wishes as you meet on this topic.



Jason XXXXX

I honestly do not believe they give a rats ass, but it is my last shot before I completely abandon all faith in any legislators. God save us, the end is near..... For the first time in my adult life I am genuinely afraid that the end is near. Do what you can while you can, hopefully clearer heads may prevail.

Jason

III

Perspective (UPDATED)

After listening here to some "opposing" views, and commenting here,and reading here (must read this link), I felt some things were "Lost in Translation."
Most who would read my words know of Mike Vanderboegh, and the 3%. There has also come into the debate the "probable role" of the military against the "alleged 3%." The military is comprised of citizens and would react in direct proportion to a similar percent.
Perspective is defined as a way of regarding situations or topics etc...
Most of us are trying to defend what we believe we would do if it happened.
A song from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones says:

"I'm not a coward,

I've just never been tested

I'd like to think that if I was,

I would pass"

I think that pretty much sums up my argument as to the effectiveness of the letter that began this train(wreck) of thoughts in my mind.

Your perspective is probably not mine. Most of my beliefs are from "fictional" worlds or history. The most defining change in my life was when I was about 17, sitting in a juvenile jail cell reading anything I could to take my mind out of that place. I found my Bible, and hope you find yourself reading it someday. I was raised Roman Catholic with all the guilt it can imply, and as a kid of the punk rock era fought it every step. Here was a book that asked me, or more accurately demanded, that I not only "know" that one day I will die, but to accept and embrace that fact. This single idea, that single grain of knowledge changed my life forever, and for the better. Living the "good life" became a responsibility to myself, for the purpose of my fulfillment, not some higher power or greater good. Since that time I have tried everyday, to know that today might be the true endgame, and I better make it worth it. Some days I succeed, other days I fail. There are others who have lived a warriors life that I can only imagine, others a life of benefits that I cannot comprehend. One life is not worth anymore than another, yet none of us will see the event horizon coming in the same way, nor will we react in what everyone would call a "rational response."

As the man above said "live for nothing, die for something"

We all have an idea of our "threshold" and they are all different, but every discussion has ended and began with 1 of 3 points

1. The govt is doing its job and has a "right" to regulate them.
2. The "right" is god given and a citizen, requires no regulation.
3. A hybrid of the above 2 without passion to jump sides.

Anyone who reads this desires liberty, it is the cost we have a debate over. I am willing to pay a much larger price than others, that is my threshold. Are others willing to pay the price to strip me? That is the root question, equation, we need to be asking ourselves.

Who we are dictates our lives, our lives do NOT dictate who we are.

Thanks for reading my rants,

Jason

III