what a 4th grader was taught

[LeftyStrat]

Well, after looking it up, it seems things didn't end well for the pistol packing soccer mom:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index. ... _shot.html

[Leo_Gnardo]

You left out the for-profit prison corporations that had the states agree to certain quotas of prisoners. Or the lobbying by the Alcohol Industry against pot legalization. Or the fact the Feds would have to shut down the DEA and its subsidies to local law enforcement. Or the corporations who's profits come from supplying educational materials for DARE.

Thanks Lefty for reminding us!

There was a news blip awhile back that claimed a large percentage of young apprehended drug users said their primary education about drugs was through DARE. Just whatever you do, don't hide your reefer in a rolled-up white towel. The demonstration dogs ALWAYS find it there, even if it's just one pot seed. Pre-DARE I was subject to view required "educational" films that showed how to cook up smack on a bent spoon, tie up and inject. I have enough presence of mind to avoid that (and other certified-dangerous items), but there are those who don't.

We've been through a couple dope dogs here, and all they ever do is DARE demonstrations. I asked, "Have the dogs ever been involved in apprehending a criminal and/or drugs?" Such a look I get! But the answer is always "No." Gotta be 10 grand at least for a trained dog, 10 grand a year in maintenance, gotta train the dog handler, mostly how to mutter commands in Hungarian (somehow that's the language the dogs understand.) And extra training & pay for the dog handler officers. So a couple hundred thou has been spent just on the DARE demo dope dogs, all to little avail. Another small city nearby has recently decommissioned their K-9 program. They had to cut their budget & I think they looked at the least fruitful of their endeavors, and switched it off.

One time an officer told me the dog handler took his K-9 friend on a walk through one of our most blighted neighborhoods. "You should have seen the skells running for their lives! And the streets stayed clear of suspicious characters for the next 2 weeks." Well that's good but why not take another walk through that neighborhood at random intervals. They did it once, and never again.

I'm gonna read up on Portugal. Thanks for the link.

[Reeltarded]

There is no reason to believe drug gangs won't move to other soruces of criminal revenue when you take away drug profits.

We can't stop them by starving them. They are going to eat.

I don't have much for them.

[LeftyStrat]

I'm gonna read up on Portugal. Thanks for the link.

Yeah, the Observations section details the results. While it doesn't paint a completely rosy picture, there are nonetheless some important indicators that changing the approach has benefitted them.

[LeftyStrat]

There is no reason to believe drug gangs won't move to other soruces of criminal revenue when you take away drug profits.

We can't stop them by starving them. They are going to eat.

I don't have much for them.

In the Portugal article, they did mention that the prices significantly dropped for some drugs. At least the junkies wouldn't have to steal much to support their habit. Might hurt the pawn shops though...

[Reeltarded]

Drug gangs make a lot more than they can get without resorting to kidnapping and home invasion.. ect.

My point is kind of that the war on drugs needs to be turned into a war against drug gangs before everyone gets hurt. A seriously faught war. This place eats nice people alive. They will say it's this, or it's that, or it's my fault. I can live with the bullshit and lies, not so much with the drug gangs. They already beat me for all I had.

[LeftyStrat]

Drug gangs make a lot more than they can get without resorting to kidnapping and home invasion.. ect.

My point is kind of that the war on drugs needs to be turned into a war against drug gangs before everyone gets hurt. A seriously faught war. This place eats nice people alive. They will say it's this, or it's that, or it's my fault. I can live with the bullshit and lies, not so much with the drug gangs. They already beat me for all I had.

I agree, but I still think it is the relatively easy money from drugs that give them their success. Break-ins and robberies require a little more intelligence to be successful than standing on the corner selling to drive-ups.

Force them to be more creative or intelligent at earning their money and you put them at a disadvantage. These aren't real smart people.

You beat drug gangs or corporations the same way in good ol 'Murica, you cut off their money supply.

Alternately if you could get them to hire Ron Johnson as their CEO that might work. I can see it now, "Crips open retail outlet next to Apple Store, hire Ellen as spokesperson."

[Reeltarded]

Dumb people with guns are boss, boss. Fact.

[LeftyStrat]

Dumb people with guns are boss, boss. Fact.

Tell that to the Koch Brothers, the Rockefellers, the CEO of Exxon, or Kim Il Jong and they'll probably laugh and agree with you, and then continue laughing when their armed guards escort you out of the room.

The winner of any war is the arms dealer. The most money made in the gold rush was by the guys selling picks and shovels.

[Reeltarded]

Ehh.. the will to do harm is the war I am fighting. If there was no will there would be no money. That is what I mean. The battle of wills is stacked against the common peep. I have no will to harm.. I do have a will to protect. Atsa fact.

[Chad]

If everybody's right then nobody's wrong.. Am I Right or uhh, do I mean wrong.No I think I'm right? Right. Ah hell screw it nobody here's right (Or wrong). Politics and Religion will never be a topic that is right or wrong amongst friends and family never has been. I hope all will be fine at the end of the conversation here. Long live the tube amp and the fantastic tone it has given us Yeah!! Chad

[LeftyStrat]

If everybody's right then nobody's wrong.. Am I Right or uhh, do I mean wrong.No I think I'm right? Right. Ah hell screw it nobody here's right (Or wrong). Politics and Religion will never be a topic that is right or wrong amongst friends and family never has been. I hope all will be fine at the end of the conversation here. Long live the tube amp and the fantastic tone it has given us Yeah!! Chad

Don't worry about it. TAG is old and resilient. Political opinions are like farts, they hang around for a while, stink up the place, but eventually fade.

[Chad]

If everybody's right then nobody's wrong.. Am I Right or uhh, do I mean wrong.No I think I'm right? Right. Ah hell screw it nobody here's right (Or wrong). Politics and Religion will never be a topic that is right or wrong amongst friends and family never has been. I hope all will be fine at the end of the conversation here. Long live the tube amp and the fantastic tone it has given us Yeah!! Chad

Don't worry about it. TAG is old and resilient. Political opinions are like farts, they hang around for a while, stink up the place, but eventually fade.

Thats true. All well to everyone. Chad

[MCK]

Don't worry about it. TAG is old and resilient. Political opinions are like farts, they hang around for a while, stink up the place, but eventually fade.

Thats true. Whats funny is how the OP has stirred up all the emotions and then disappeared. Have we been trolled (with all due respect...)?

[Reeltarded]

Shud up Chad!! Toopid... gahh..

hehe I don't normally shit and eat in the same place. The last thing I would want to do is have someone identify me with.a memory of what they think I think, or think I am.

We have notions. I try to override experience when I am talking to someone new. It's hard because of slang, education.. you know, my own not so much their's. I live and it leaves the wrong impressions if I don't mind the path or something.