In Heroin Crisis, White Families Seek Gentler War on Drugs

[RustyShackleford]

Oh! So now people should care

 

[Chopper]

Money and voting power runs politics and as long as white people control most of the money in America and have more voting power, the issues that are important to them will control the way America moves.

Either way, this is a welcomed change. We need to end the war on drugs. Crazy dumb.

100.

 

[zapatohead408]

Agreed with homie that said this place isn't for us. As I get older, I'm starting to really question whether I could actually start a family here. What are some other countries you all would move to if given the opportunity?

Spain or Switzerland. Not really an educated decision.

 

[k3stacks]

Baboon on your back, but what's sad is that crack
was introduced to hispanic communities and blacks
But then it spread to white and got everyone's undivided attention
Cause your daughter is on it and you can't hide it
Maybe your son tried it, rehab too crowded
You scared, she scared, they scared, I said
they scared they scared to talk about it

 

[wavycrocket]

This BEEN happening in Baltimore. **** is so obvious.

White people get caught with dope. They get no time. Instead, it's Rehabilitation, understanding and a "second" chance.

Them white people in Harford County been on ready rock. The Drugs Inc episode "The High Wire" touches on this briefly.

 

[wavycrocket]

It's great and all but like you said it's unfortunate that it took this long. The reason we are scoffing and sarcastically laughing at this is because black communities have been suffering with addiction and all they did was throw us in jail for maximum sentences. Why didn't the change happen then?

We are second rate citizens in this country and this is one good example that shows that. They didn't care until addiction of heroin hit the white community. Black families have been ripped apart because of crack addiction and they never cared. Like homie said, this country is not built for us.

Bingo.

The true sinister mind**** is that the government PURPOSELY funneled crack into impoverished black communities to fund their initiatives. Then turn around and impose harsh sentences on the people they gave the drugs to. We are STILL feeling the effects of the crack era. And it was all designed. Chemical warfare on the Black community.

It's really ***** up. Crazy long sentences to young black people for a few rocks. Cycle of fathers being in and out of jail. Crack babies. Unemployment. No rehabilitation. No second chances. None of that. Don't even get me started on the lead paint in the inner cities that affected kids coming up. Learning disabilities and all that as a result of lead testing.

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...e898e6-eea8-11e4-8abc-d6aa3bad79dd_story.html)

Drug epidemic affects white america. Now there is sympathy for drug addicts. Smh. Go figure.

 

[AZwildcats]

This reminds me of something I experienced in elementary school, although I didn't really realize it until a few years later. If anyone is familiar with the Tucson area, I went to Davidson Elementary and it had to be closed due to mold problems (TUSD FTL ). The plan was to demolish the school and build a new one about a mile down the street. While this was happening, we were all sent to other schools in the area until the construction was completed. I, along with other kids from my neighborhood, were picked up by bus and sent to a school in a much nicer neighborhood (Manzanita Elementary) everyday for the next 2 years (2nd through 4th grade for me). My pops and older brother went to the school board meetings and I remember them being very upset at the complaints of the parents who lived in the nicer area. They were complaining that we would introduce drugs, weapons, and gang activity to their suburban setting (we came from a poorer neighborhood in Tucson, but they acted like they were shipping us in from a prison). So in response the school implemented a zero tolerance policy on those things, with the punishment being immediate expulsion from the school. Well one day the school was evacuated because a kid brought a plastic toy gun to school and the teacher called the police. The parents were all up in arms until they found out the culprit was a local of the nicer neighborhood. Now instead of expulsion, the student who brought the plastic gun was suspended for a few days and the school made the entire student body attend a seminar on school safety.

Sorry for the long story, but I feel it somewhat goes along the topic of the "gentler war on drugs". It isn't a problem until it starts to affect white people. People in the inner cities have been getting murdered in absurd quantities for decades, but that was just chalked up to inner city problems. Now that white people are getting killed in tragic manners, now America has a violence/gun problem. Possession of crack and other drugs have carried heavy sentences for years, but now that suburban America has a heroin epidemic our laws are too harsh. It's ridiculous how blatantly biased the media and lawmakers are when it comes to these things.

 

[teamjordan79]

"An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted." - Arthur Miller

People are quickly waking up to their realities including that blacks are second class citizens, banks steal everyone's money and the POTUS is the shill in chief.


We are living in interesting times.

 

[Nouss]

You can point to the whiteness and blackness of the differing approaches on the War on Drugs all you want. What's not really discussed is that the nation as a whole has a different view of addiction. This change is welcome. It's unfortunate that it didn't happen earlier, but the climate has changed a lot. Addicts aren't viewed the same as they once were. Maybe it's because more are white now, I don't know. Maybe it's because so many of the drugs abused are prescription. Maybe it's because there are reality TV shows focused on helping people get help instead of imprisoning them. I don't know, but this is a welcome change regardless of who the poster children are.

This is BS. When it was effecting black people it was swept under the rug. Now that its effecting the white community, change needs to come. What you´re doing is deflecting. The black community has been pleading for change for a while and we should just shut up and be content that its happening now? Give me a break, it clear as day what is going on and I have every right to be upset.

You don´t know why addicts are veiwed differently today? Maybe, just maybe its because they are white? Get real man, its because its effecting the white community. Theres nothig to speculate, its clear as day.

Basically, we should just be happy its happening now. Families have been lost and itll take decades to undo the damage that was done to our community.

Its insensitive to even play with the idea that this might not be a racial issue.

 

[teamjordan79]

You can point to the whiteness and blackness of the differing approaches on the War on Drugs all you want. What's not really discussed is that the nation as a whole has a different view of addiction. This change is welcome. It's unfortunate that it didn't happen earlier, but the climate has changed a lot. Addicts aren't viewed the same as they once were. Maybe it's because more are white now, I don't know. Maybe it's because so many of the drugs abused are prescription. Maybe it's because there are reality TV shows focused on helping people get help instead of imprisoning them. I don't know, but this is a welcome change regardless of who the poster children are.

This is BS. When it was effecting black people it was swept under the rug. Now that its effecting the white community, change needs to come. What you´re doing is deflecting. The black community has been pleading for change for a while and we should just shut up and be content that its happening now? Give me a break, it clear as day what is going on and I have every right to be upset.

You don´t know why addicts are veiwed differently today? Maybe, just maybe its because they are white? Get real man, its because its effecting the white community. Theres nothig to speculate, its clear as day.

Basically, we should just be happy its happening now. Families have been lost and itll take decades to undo the damage that was done to our community.

Its insensitive to even play with the idea that this might not be a racial issue.

it's more accurate to say poor communities rather than just black imo

 

[aNYone]

it's more accurate to say poor communities rather than just black imo

100% factual but... in America poverty has been synonomized with Blacks and people of color in general by SOME for a while, 

Case in point whites make up the majority of welfare participants by a mile, and of course they would they make up the majority of America it's not really that shocking, but who's the face of the welfare system, Blacks and Hispanics 

Although poverty is an issue that is evident across racial lines, people in similar financial problems are perceived and treated differently by some.

 

[teamjordan79]

it's more accurate to say poor communities rather than just black imo

100% factual but... in America poverty has been synonomized with Blacks and people of color in general by SOME for a while, 

Case in point whites make up the majority of welfare participants by a mile, and of course they would they make up the majority of America it's not really that shocking, but who's the face of the welfare system, Blacks and Hispanics 

Although poverty is an issue that is evident across racial lines, people in similar financial problems are perceived and treated differently by some.

Granted poverty affects blacks dis-proportionally. My only point is that making this solely a "race issue" distorts any potential solution to the problem. In other words, labeling this a class issue could actually yield results whereas a race issue will just divide the middle class/poor, black/white as usual.

 

[truballa101]

It's a race issue. There are more whites that abuse drugs regardless of class. Yet more blacks are incarcerated for more low-level nonviolent drug offenses.

 

[NowForeverAlways]

It's a race issue. There are more whites that abuse drugs regardless of class. Yet more blacks are incarcerated for more low-level nonviolent drug offenses.

I don't know how it is around yous but where I'm from people are on corners all day and night and those people standing on the corner selling it are black and Hispanic who do u think is gonna be getting locked up? And then there's the issue of what they sell killing people so I have no sympathy for anyone in jail for however long for selling drugs

 

[frenchbreadbuilds]

I don't know how it is around yous but where I'm from people are on corners all day and night and those people standing on the corner selling it are black and Hispanic who do u think is gonna be getting locked up? And then there's the issue of what they sell killing people so I have no sympathy for anyone in jail for however long for selling drugs

Where I'm from, white drug dealers outnumber black ones significantly. In fact if you're into **** other than weed your drug dealer is almost always white. But I'm from the burbs.

 

[NowForeverAlways]

Where I'm from, white drug dealers outnumber black ones significantly. In fact if you're into **** other than weed your drug dealer is almost always white. But I'm from the burbs.

Like I said, I got no sympathy for anyone selling something that kills people whether they look like me or not

 

[District of Columbia]

I don't know how it is around yous but where I'm from people are on corners all day and night and those people standing on the corner selling it are black and Hispanic who do u think is gonna be getting locked up? And then there's the issue of what they sell killing people so I have no sympathy for anyone in jail for however long for selling drugs

Yeah because locking them up an putting felonies on them have been working perfectly the last 30 or so years.

Thinking like this is exactly why the whole system is rigged.

 

[NowForeverAlways]

Yeah because locking them up an putting felonies on them have been working perfectly the last 30 or so years.

Thinking like this is exactly why the whole system is rigged.

But people who DIE and are gone forever is ok?

 

[District of Columbia]

You look at the root of the problem and then react. Mass incarceration is the reason this is an on going circle.

And to say that it's mostly Blacks and Latinos is

How do you think the drugs get into the country in the first place. Your kidding yourself if you don't think the White man has its hands in drugs jus as much as Blacks and Latinos

 

[truballa101]

More people die from alcohol and tobacco use which are sold legally.
More people die from ODing on prescription drugs which aren't sold on street corners.
Powdered cocaine, heroin, LSD, meth and ecstasy are primarily sold by whites and used by whites.

Yet we're locking black people up for marijuana, the least fatal drug. OK.

 

[NowForeverAlways]

You look at the root of the problem and then react. Mass incarceration is the reason this is an on going circle.

And to say that it's mostly Blacks and Latinos is

How do you think the drugs get into the country in the first place. Your kidding yourself if you don't think the White man has its hands in drugs jus as much as Blacks and Latinos

Never said its mostly blacks and Hispanics I said around here those two groups are who stands on corners all day and night so it makes it easier for the cops to lock them up. Never said white people don't sell drugs

 

[lamekilla]

It's no point in arguing I've realized. Those with guilt in their heart are gonna find any and every way to make this seem like this is fair or a step in the right direction. What America constantly tells us is that minority lives especially blacks aren't as precious as whites and some of you guys in here are tongue in cheek consigning. Disgusting.

 

[NowForeverAlways]

No guilt here. Never looked at anyone different cause of the color of their skin

 

[lamekilla]

No guilt here. Never looked at anyone different cause of the color of their skin

Not saying you have or you are judging anyone off the color of their skin but what are your thoughts on the issue. Do you think it's fair?

 

[NowForeverAlways]

I don't think its right that white people that are out stealing and robbing people gets a pass because their addicted. It's good that their going back and looking at peoples charges and letting people out for charges for weed,but people who got locked up for selling dope should do everyday they got sentenced to. I don't look at weed as a drug cause no one is od'ing from it. Looking at the drug problem differently should have happened a long time ago but its good that its happening now