Views » November 2, 2005

A Foul Tragedy

Democrats fled in the face of danger

By Garrison Keillor

We Democrats are at our worst when we try to emulate Republicans as we did in signing onto the “war” on drugs that has ruined so many young lives.

The cruelty of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 is stark indeed, as are the sentencing guidelines that impose mandatory minimum sentences for minor drug possession—guidelines in the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act that sailed through Congress without benefit of public hearings, drafted before an election by Democrats afraid to be labeled “soft on drugs.” As a result, a marijuana grower can land in prison for life without parole while a murderer might be in for eight years. No rational person can defend this; it is a Dostoevskian nightmare and it exists only because politicians fled in the face of danger. That includes Bill Clinton, under whose administration the prosecution of Americans for marijuana went up hugely, so that now there are more folks in prison for marijuana than for violent crimes. More than for manslaughter or rape. This only makes sense in the fantasy world of Washington, where perception counts for more than reality. To an old Democrat, who takes a ground view of politics—What is the actual effect of this action on the lives of real people?—it is a foul tragedy that makes you feel guilty about enjoying your freedom.

If suddenly on a Friday night the red lights flash and the cops yank your teenage son and his little envelope of marijuana into the legal meatgrinder and some bullet-headed prosecutor decides to flex his muscle and charge your teenager—because he had a .22 rifle in his upstairs bedroom closet—with a felony involving the use of a firearm, which under our brutal sentencing code means he can be put on ice for 20 years, and the prosecutor goes at him hammer and tong and convinces a passive jury and your boy’s life is sacrificed so this creep can run for Congress next year—this is not your cross alone to bear. If the state cuts off your right hand with a meat cleaver on my account and I don’t object, then it is my cleaver and my fingerprints on it.

I don’t dare visit Sandstone Federal Prison here in Minnesota for fear of what I’d see there: People who chose marijuana, a more benign drug than alcohol, and got caught in the religious war that we Democrats in a weak moment signed onto. God help us if we form alliance with such bullies as would destroy a kid’s life for raising cannabis plants.

• Help In These Times publish more articles like this. Donate today!
• Subscribe today and save 46% off the newsstand price!
• Or win a subscription to In These Times by taking this short survey!

• subscribe to print magazine

• stay in touch with our email newsletter

  Subscribe to our regular weekly e-mail newsletter. It's packed with updates on recent and upcoming stories, events, campaigns and things every progressive should be informed about.

   

• email this article to a friend

  Your Name Your Email Recipient Email

  Personal message Thought you might be interested in this article from In These Times.

   

  Please help us prevent spam by verifying the word you see in the image above

  Send to multiple recipients. Just separate each email address with a comma.

• Reader Comments

  While I agree the war on drugs is stupid, counter productive and a few more adjectives I could come up with, Keillor should stick to his humor and leave serious topics to non-Wobegoners.

  The war on drugs is not due to some “religious war”. It is, to put it in terms he might understand, a product of the “Good Intensions Paving Company”.

  We need to convince rational people that this drug policy is only making criminals rich and ordinary citizens into criminals.

  His hyperbolic story telling only serves to diminish the argument that we should put an end to this waste of time, money and worst of all people’s lives.

  Posted by whattheheck on Nov 2, 2005 at 3:30 PM

  Keillor should stick to his humor and leave serious topics to non-Wobegoners.

  God, please no! We all breathe a sigh of collective relief when he is away on the road…

  Posted by Jay Cline on Nov 2, 2005 at 4:12 PM

  It would be interesting to see Steve’s response to this article.

  Seems that the laws are rather recent - and the quote: “That includes Bill Clinton, under whose administration the prosecution of Americans for marijuana went up hugely, so that now there are more folks in prison for marijuana than for violent crimes.” makes me wonder if he was a closet fundamentalist? (Kidding!).

  I hate it when i agree with the conclusion of an article like this, but find that the attempted argument is terrible. But i should be more generous - Keillor was probably very high when he wrote it. :)

  Posted by wolf on Nov 2, 2005 at 6:14 PM

  Now that more and more people are realizing the utter stupidity of these laws,what can be done about it?

  Posted by Dr.D on Nov 2, 2005 at 9:46 PM

  Here is how i would start. Perhaps others have useful ideas as well. . .

  Write your Congressmen. Write letters to the editor (polite and cogent - starting the war of words is counterproductive).

  Posted by wolf on Nov 2, 2005 at 9:51 PM

• extended discussion >>>Continued...

  Discussions with more than 5 comments are continued on our special discussion page to encourage continuity and ease of use. There are currently 47 posts.

Also featured 8 Reasons to Close Guantnamo Now
Jose Padilla Brings Torture to Trial
Rebelde for the Cause

Full contents
Previous issues
Subscribe and save!