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Posted on Thu, May 10, 2012 : 7:08 a.m.

What I want for Mother's Day: Stop stealing our sex toys and go get rapists

By Guest Column

Three years ago, I told 5,000 people at Hash Bash, “If you get raided, call me,” which is proof I need a handler or something. Someone to follow me around and say, “No, Charmie, don’t say that.”

They call me all right. Hundreds of people, but mostly mothers who are trying to feed or put their children to bed when the guys with guns and masks come in the door, shoot their dog, hold guns to their heads, demand the combination to the safe and steal their sex toys, which I'll get to in a minute.

051012_charmie_gholson.jpg

The author, Charmie Gholson, speaks at the annual Hash Bash on the U-M Diag in April.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

This isn't happening because the families are a threat to society, or because the sex toys are dangerous, but because someone inside the house might have marijuana.

Prior to Nixon declaring the drug war, raids like this were unheard of. The original purpose of SWAT was to respond to domestic violence attacks, snipers, or hostage situations. The Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Officials Act made equipment and facilities available to civilian police in the anti-drug effort, and the Pentagon began equipping local police with M-16s and armored personnel carriers such as the “Colonel” tank owned by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.

State and local police departments increasingly accepted the military as a model for their behavior and outlook. The problem is that the mindset of a soldier is simply not appropriate for a civilian police officer. Police officers confront not an “enemy” but individuals who are protected by the Bill of Rights.

As the daughter of a law enforcer, I know first hand how these tactics tear at the social contract between citizens and law enforcement, causing community distrust and fear of those who have sworn to protect us. I dream of the day when right relations are restored between communities and law enforcement.

If the purpose of these raids is to improve the safety of Michigan citizens, they have failed.


According to 2010 Michigan State Police crime statistics, police made 1,653 arrests out of 10,228 reported incidents of rape, state wide. That’s a 16.16% arrest rate for rape. Voluntary manslaughter rates for arrests are at 35.6%. Yet, somehow, police in Michigan have an 80% arrest rate for controlled substance violations.

If you’re a rapist or murderer, Michigan is a great place to live. However if you’re a marijuana user, you are at greater risk of being victimized by law enforcement than by the real criminals.

Over the last 9 months we’ve seen a statewide escalation of police raids on medical marijuana patients and caregivers—the people we were trying to protect with the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. But instead of protecting our sick and dying citizens, many have been tossed back into the fire, subjected to paramilitary tactics of the local drug task force.

I am the founder of Michigan Moms United to End the War on Drugs, an organization that focuses on educating the community, media and legislators about how the failed drug war decreases public safety. We intend to put an end to these raids on peaceful families, as well as reform Michigans asset forfeiture laws.

Now, about those sex toys. Drug task forces often take them during a raid and line them up to be photographed with the other evidence. It’s hard to comprehend, until you remember that this is a real war. The war on drugs is our countries longest running, silent civil war and this wars victims aren’t memorialized with statues or fountains. They’re hunted, vilified and locked in cages.

But without an enemy, you cannot make war. Michigan Moms United would like to introduce you to some of those enemies; the ones being persecuted for marijuana that is. I can’t introduce you to your raping and murdering enemies, because not even the police know where they are.

My Mother's Day wish is that law enforcers make their communities safer by arresting rapists and murderers, instead of terrorizing families.

Ann Arbor resident Charmie Gholson is the media director for Committee for a Safe Michigan (www.repealtoday.org), mother of three sons, oldest of three daughters and a war protestor. You can email her at okisay@yahoo.com.

Comments

Charlie Silkworth

Wed, May 16, 2012 : 7:08 p.m.

I agree with everything that Charmie had to say. This war on drugs is really a war by the police on the citizens they are paid to portect. For the most part, pot users are not criminals and probably are more law abiding than many of our law enforcement community. I am an alcoholic and sober for 30 years and can state first hand that alcohol is the gateway to drug abuse and not canibis. I get a chuckle out of sitting with public servants and listening to them bash the "druggies" while getting plastered! I do not advocate the use of mind altering substances, but the cure is much worse than the disease. We are creating the criminals with our stupid laws. Charlie What's a sex toy? Are they dangerous?

kraiford12

Tue, May 15, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.

Oops, meant to post this as a separate comment but now I Can't delete me old one. Just wondering why the author of this article refers to comment'ers as "Trolls"? ....not very civil.

RenegadeSolutions

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 4:42 p.m.

@YpsiVeteran Re: More than 170 offices were killed in the line of duty last year, up from over 150 the year before. This is a compassionate and honest article about how dangerous it is to be a police officer, written by a former cop and criminal justice professor. I think if you read it with an open mind, you can see that it doesn't really work to justify the paramilitary tactics now used quite commonly by LEO with the dangers of policing overall. http://www.quora.com/How-dangerous-is-it-to-be-a-police-officer-in-the-U-S Law enforcement is a very hazardous profession, but not entirely for the reasons most people believe. In 2011, there were 170 line of duty law enforcement deaths in the United States. Of these, roughly half were intentional attacks or other criminal acts. The remainder were automobile and motorcycle accidents, heart attacks, drowning, job-related illness, and other fatalities not directly attributable to criminal acts. --And OF COURSE the laws need to be changed. Please visit LEAP's website and hear from the mouths of law enforcers how and why we need to end the drug war. For public safety, for police safety, for our children and to restore right relations between cops and community. Also, and this is very important--I am not a cop hater or basher. You won't get anywhere with that. I come from a law enforcement family, and worked for cops who want to end the drug war. These drug task force guys are not honorable, they are not simply enforcing the law, in fact they are often breaking it and behaving like spoiled brats. I know a LOT of cops who are very trouble by this trend in policing as well, but first you have to believe me, and see for yourself. Stop denying that these atrocities are happening. I invite you to email me so you can meet some of the women who have been raided. okisay@yahoo.com

Mike

Sun, May 13, 2012 : 12:57 p.m.

The militarization of civilian police is a pathology that needs to be stopped. The first and best way is to reduce the budgets of police. Next, all seizures should not go into the budgets of the police. Finally, reduce police staffing by 40%. This will ensure that they have time only for core functions and not the armed and violent taxation and enslavery that they have come to practice.

Richard Wickboldt

Sun, May 13, 2012 : 12:52 p.m.

"My Mother's Day wish is that law enforcers make their communities safer by arresting rapists and murderers, instead of terrorizing families." I hope your wish comes true! Because our society is increasingly being attacked and rights taken away. The recent FAA regulations passed in congress will allow domestic use of UAV drones. They say there could be 30,000 drones flying in the USA skies by 2020. So when the SWAT team come a calling. They will be supported by drones! Just imagine what kind of real time products Google will have with the use of drones. Soon if we want real privacy. We will have to live deep underground.

YpsiVeteran

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 11:13 p.m.

Further, outside of the city of Detroit, where it happens frequently, a major drug raid being conducted on the wrong house is almost unheard of in this state. Also, the state attorney general, and the A2 city attorney gave quite a bit of advanced warning of their intent to begin enforcing the letter of the highly confusing medical marijuana law we now have. They sent letters and warned everyone what was necessary to be in compliance. Anyone who didn't pay attention doesn't deserve a wit of sympathy. I actually think marijuana should be legal, but until it is, anyone who chooses to gamble gets what they get, and they aren't "victims" of anything but their own choices.

kraiford12

Tue, May 15, 2012 : 3:33 p.m.

federal law

RenegadeSolutions

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 4:01 p.m.

Tell that to the patients and caregivers who are following the law and still being raided.

YpsiVeteran

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 10:01 p.m.

The manipulation of the alleged "data" as used in this article is hilarious. Let's start with "reported rapes," for example. For that stat to have any validity whatsoever, you have to know, first, how many "reported rapes" actually were rapes. A very high percentage of "reported" rapes turn out to be other things, including outright fabrications, and as a result no one is every charged. The accurate and useful number would be how many rape warrants were cleared by arrest, not how many arrests resulted from a "reported" rape. "Voluntary Manslaughter" is an actual charge, not a "report." For a VM arrest to be made, there has to be a death, an investigation is completed, then a prosecutor charges someone & issues a warrant. Then, someone may or not be arrested. Why is the author using two different criteria in her included data? Blaming the police for enforcing the law is ridiculous, weak and cowardly on its face. It also does nothing to address the author's goal or enhance her credibility. Does the author really think the police started the drug war? Does the author contend the police can end the drug war? Politicians on a national & local level are responsible for drug policy in this country and state, not the police. I find it hard to believe the author is not aware of this. More than 170 offices were killed in the line of duty last year, up from over 150 the year before. Many thousand more were assaulted and/or injured, as reported by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. The methods used in major drug raids, which, no matter what the author is trying to have you believe, are not used on minor marijuana possession cases, are designed to minimize the chances of an officer getting fatally wounded. The author's hostility is better directed at the source of the policies she has a problem with, and not the people who are doing what

RenegadeSolutions

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.

Police say No More Drug War too, YpsiVeteran, because they want to be taken out of the line of fire in teh open air markets and end the senseless violence that a legal, regulated market will provide, so they can get back to solving violent crime like arresting rapists and murderers. Go here to see for yourself www.leap.cc because those are the cops who KNOW and work to end this failed public policy. I had the honor of working with them for three years and they taught me everything I know.

RenegadeSolutions

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:58 p.m.

"SWAT did not serve our warrants," he remembers, "we narcotics officers did. We knew dope, and the neighborhood, and the people involved. More often than not when we served warrants the family was there complete with hysterical mothers and crying children. The situation was often chaotic. We tried to settle things down and get to the dope quick before it could be flushed. This is a situation alien to SWAT teams. They are taught to escalate until control is achieved. They don't have time to deescalate a situation by reason or compassion." "In 1991," Doddrige recalls, "Washington suddenly began offering lots of protective armor and equipment. "We gladly took it," he says, "now looking more like military than police, and little realized that we were becoming addicted to our own kind of dope – image and prestige. In their mad dash to prosecute the war on drugs, Washington was now sponsoring SWAT teams all across the land with the stipulation that the more dope you seize the more M-16s and armored personnel carriers you get. Today, there are more than 1700 SWAT teams across America. With little to do, they're unleashed on American citizens in situations that were foreign in years past. Michigan drug task forces spend approximately 80% of their time going after marijuana, and since the August 2010 Court of Appeal decision that effectively closed the dispensaries across the state, these drug task forces have been raiding openly operating compassion clubs, stealing their files and then raiding caregivers who are following the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. There is no way to spin this, none. Those statistics are rock solid across the entire country. Before the drug war was declared, police solved 90% of violent crime in this country with less technology and more crime.

RenegadeSolutions

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:57 p.m.

All of the statistics in this article came directly from the Michigan State Police. "reported rapes," means exactly that: its the number of rapes reported to police, as is the voluntary manslaughter reports. You can go to their website and pull the information yourself. There is no trickery here, trust me, I struggled for months with this information and it's accurate. I did not want to believe it either. This is false and used to perpetuate the failed drug war: "The methods used in major drug raids, which, no matter what the author is trying to have you believe, are not used on minor marijuana possession cases, are designed to minimize the chances of an officer getting fatally wounded." Again, did you read the article? The militarization of the police has resulted in the drug task forces hiring ex-marines and thrill seekers, rather than peacemakers. I learned all of this from cops, and damn good ones. Dave Doddridge joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1973; just 8 years after Chief Darryl Gates, spurred by the LA riots and the SLA shootout, established the nations first SWAT team. It was designed to respond to increasingly dangerous situations involving armed/barricaded suspects or wanton disregard for the law. After spending 6 years on the street and another 10 as a detective, Doddridge transferred to South Bureau narcotics in 1990. He says at first it was an adventure – undercover surveillance, writing warrants, smashing doors, hauling folks off to jail and picture taking behind tables of drugs and guns.

YpsiVeteran

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 10:03 p.m.

...they are told.

Monica R-W

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 6:59 a.m.

Excellent Op/Ed Charmie! Enjoyed reading it and you're right on point here!

EyeHeartA2

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 8:02 p.m.

Looks like Charmie got everything back anyway. or I'm mistaken about what she is holding.

Peter Konigsberg

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 11:49 a.m.

I thought you were back on the radio Rush?

smokeblwr

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.

Everybody should just admit it: We drink alcohol to get buzzed or drunk. We smoke up to get high. Both are escape and coping mechanisms. Ideally we could have a good time without them but we can't. Miserable people are going to be miserable. The government should just let us do it legally and then they can profit even more than they can by sniffing our used sex toys.

RenegadeSolutions

Fri, May 18, 2012 : 1:49 p.m.

JP, then you don't have to "smoke weed," if you don't want to, but to spend this amount of money, resources and decrease public safety in an attempt to stop people from smoking weed is crazy. Especially since it doesn't work.

Wolf's Bane

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 5:56 p.m.

That's what you think. I think smoking "weed" is crazy.

Wolf's Bane

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:14 p.m.

Seeing a psychiatrist is cheaper and less harmful to your body and has often better results.

kraiford12

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.

I'd like to add that in total I know of 5 people who are caregivers or work at dispensaries. Every single one of those five people sells their product illegally to non-patient of those without licenses. These aren't my friends nor am I implying everyone does this. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth for the people advocating for this sort of change. I completely agree that there are great uses for this plant. But the "bad eggs" of the bunch aren't helping any.

YpsiVeteran

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 11:07 p.m.

Renegade"Solutions", medical marijuana was approved by the voters in this state. The legislation that resulted is so full of holes, gray areas, contradictions and other problems, it's almost impossible to enforce. The current Attorney General is waging a personal war against legalized medical marijuana, and the federal government does not recognize it. Why aren't you directing your invective toward the people who could actually fix the problem?

kraiford12

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.

Sorry you feel that way. Though my comment had nothing to do with them getting "raided" and there lives being taken away. No my knowledge, none have had their houses raided, dogs shots, or liberties denied.

RenegadeSolutions

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:21 p.m.

You know what puts a bad taste in my mouth? The assertion that people are working outside of the MMA some how deserve to be violently raided by soldiers, have their life savings and homes taken, be charged with felonies. These drug laws put hundreds of thousands of Americans who pose no threat to others or society, in handcuffs every year, denies them the right to housing, employment and education. Couple this with the fact that it decreases public safety by skewing police priorities, and you've got a massive FAIL.

kraiford12

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 6 p.m.

"According to 2010 Michigan State Police crime statistics, police made 1,653 arrests out of 10,228 reported incidents of rape, state wide. That's a 16.16% arrest rate for rape. Voluntary manslaughter rates for arrests are at 35.6%. Yet, somehow, police in Michigan have an 80% arrest rate for controlled substance violations." I'm not sure how this all "relates". Is the 80% arrest rate related to reported controlled substance violations? How are such reports made? For instance, reported rapes (what you're relating it to) may or may not happen by someone you know in a location you're not sure off and at varying time-frames. Officers need evidence of some sort to make an arrest. Without getting that proper evidence in time or not making an identification of some suspect you can see why this would be difficult. Just deciding to relate this to "controlled substance violations" seems out of context. If someone calls about a specific person they think/know is selling/growing pot police will often get or have an ID or location of that offence. A little bit of police work or an undercover buy and BOOM you have your arrest. So in that respect you have 1 reported case and 1 arrest. I'm sure police don't count the 911 calls of "I smell marijuana here/there" as a report hence, it doesn't go against their arrest count. Given the nature and means of gathering evidence in the 2 examples it's a poor choice of comparison.

kraiford12

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 3:48 p.m.

90% conviction rate in homicides is not a real number. No statistic proves that. Couple this with the increasing rates of false imprisonment and that number falls even more. Even on its best day the solve rate was never 90%. Not to mention the way these numbers are sometimes achieved skew reality. Blindly believing numbers gets you no where.

RenegadeSolutions

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:35 a.m.

Kraiford these are the Michigan State Police Crime Statistics. Their official reports. The "reported rapes" are the rapes reported to police. You said, "Without getting that proper evidence in time or not making an identification of some suspect you can see why this would be difficult." Yep. Finding rapists is more difficult to do than arresting marijuana users. However, before the drug war was declared, cops solved upwards of 90% of all murders in this country, with less cops and less technology. Today the clearance rate hovers at 30%, nation wide. The reason is that law enforcers are spending their time policing the illegal drug trade, instead of focusing on violent crime. it's very simple. I learned this from the cops at LEAP. You should check them out. www.copssaylegalizedrugs.com

hockeymom

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 5:38 p.m.

Gross. You lost me at "hash bash". All presumed credibility destroyed.

RenegadeSolutions

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 7:36 p.m.

Yeah, I live in Ann Arbor and had never been to Hash Bash before speaking there three years ago. I always get out of Dodge. But after working with cops who want to end the drug war, I became more involved in drug policy reform became involved in the rally. The rally on the Diag is actually full of very knowledgable people and this year we brought in great speakers, improved the sound and educated about 5,000 people very successfully. it was amazing. They could hear us, and were very attentive. Those folks are more open minded, and also more likely to care about this issue. You, not so much, but you should still care about the skewed police priorities, wasted resources and zero impact marijuana prohibition has on keeping it out of our kids reach.

Wolf's Bane

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 4:25 p.m.

Say "No" to drugs.

Wolf's Bane

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:12 p.m.

I think anyone who uses marijuana passed the age of 24 needs to get their head examined.

bobslowson

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.

and say "YES" to legalizing the herb...Which is no more a drug than alcohol or tobacco

Homeland Conspiracy

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:51 p.m.

Follow the money! There's more money in busting drugs then busting a rapist or a killer. When they bust someone with drugs it's almost like hitting the lottery for the police. They get to keep all the money & property they find.

Widow Wadman

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:29 p.m.

Thanks for the interesting piece, Ms. Gholson. You make many good points but I particularly agree that rapists need to be caught and that finding them should take a higher priority than tracking marijuana. Hopefully the police department will take note of your post. I also liked your headline. I saw a news report recently about a drug bust and accompanying it was a picture of sex toys. I thought that was odd. What did one have to do with the other?

A2Hallie

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 10:41 p.m.

Doesn't Annarbor.com create the headline?

RenegadeSolutions

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.

Hi Widow, thank you for your thoughtful comments. Can you locate that news story? I'd love to see it. If so, please email me at okisay@yahoo.com My understanding of why they steal the sex toys is that they think it will shame the women into not coming to claim their property. It's so insane. I've interviewed hundreds of families and they all have PTSD from these encounters.

Ricardo Queso

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.

Offensive headline AA.com.

Ricardo Queso

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 8:47 p.m.

Think of the title in the context of a parent trying to explain the definition of "sex toy".

Hmm

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.

What is "offensive" about that? The word sex LOL??

ToraRTC

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 5:56 p.m.

The act of being offended is a choice.

taxpayingcitizen

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:55 p.m.

To Mike Parent and other drug supporters - If you think that marijuana use carries a zero percent chance of life-threatening consequences, you're sorely mistaken. In the last 3 years I have cared for 4 different patients in a LOCAL emergency department who had been using the drug and driving. Two of these people died from injuries sustained in crashes attributable to driving under the influence of THC. In one of the cases, a marijuana user killed a family of 4. Marijuana, a victimless crime?....I think not.

Mike Parent

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.

You didn't read what I said. No one has ever died from ingesting marijuana. With rights come responsibilities. And can you cite the accident that killed a family of 4 or any of the others? Were there any other contributing causes? Marijuana shouldn't be used when driving, along with texting, alcohol use, cellphone use, tiredness, distractions and prescription drug use. Marijuana use is a victimless crime, driving while impaired for any reason, and causing an "accident", is not!

taxpayingcitizen

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.

To respond to your request for citations, here are some examples in the lay press (I'm guessing you don't have access to PubMed or similar body of published medical literature -- based on what I see here, you would ignore the evidence anyway and justify using mind alter chemicals). http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Pot_Smoking_Linked_to_Increased_Risk_of_Mental_Illness_a1676.html http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2926/marijuana-smoke-more-damaging-thought?page=2%2Cl

RenegadeSolutions

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.

Taxpayer: No one said marijuana use doesn't carry consequences, however the most severe and difficult to recover from is law enforcement encounters. Also, I'd like to see your sources on these assertions: "Other consequences include increased incidence of chronic pain, mental illness and a higher incidence of child abuse in parents who use (for those of you who are all about the kids....)." My sources on skewed police priorities are on the Michigan State Police crime statistics website.

redwingshero

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:52 p.m.

No one is talking about smoking pot and getting behind the wheel in the article. You refer to 6 traffic deaths involving pot. Ever experience a traffic death involving alcohol? How many people die each year because a drunk decides to get behind the wheel? By your logic, alcohol (which is currently legal and regulated) should be illegal. Why not ban all passengers in vehicles as they are a distraction and distracted driving (very, very bad) causes deaths as well? What about individuals with closed head injuries and have to take prescribed narcotics to ease the pain? Enjoy my Reductio ad Absurdum. Stick to the premise of the article.

taxpayingcitizen

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.

Renee - hardly...I said nothing about legalization either way. My apologies if you interpreted it that way. My comment is to offer a reminder that there ARE consequences to marijuana. This feed seems to think it is benign. Other consequences include increased incidence of chronic pain, mental illness and a higher incidence of child abuse in parents who use (for those of you who are all about the kids....). It isn't clear whether these stats are causative or correlative. This causation of lung problems introduced by chronic smoking is undeniable.

Renee S.

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.

So by your logic, we should make alcohol illegal then too? Not only does it cause a LOT of driving deaths, but it also causes deaths directly.

Mike Parent

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:29 p.m.

Marijuana, the low hanging fruit! "THE CHILDREN" If they really cared for the children they'd legalize and regulate marijuana. If they really wanted to keep any substance out of the hands of "The Children" they first must take control of distribution away from black market dealers. They haven't accomplished that in 40+ years at a taxpayers cost in the hundreds of billions. It's time to treat marijuana as we do alcohol. My 27 year old daughter still gets carded when she buys alcohol, yet your 13 year old can buy anything the black market dealer has for a price whether it be money or "something else". Prohibitionists, your path to hell may be paved with good intentions, but hell is the final destination, none the less. FACT: Your kids have a better chance dying at the hands of someone enforcing marijuana laws than they do from ingesting it.(ZERO %). LEAP member, NYPD, ret.

Charlie Silkworth

Wed, May 16, 2012 : 7:36 p.m.

AHMEN!!

redwingshero

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:36 p.m.

Cue Helen Lovejoy: "Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children???"

Unusual Suspect

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:09 p.m.

"f you're a rapist or murderer, Michigan is a great place to live. However if you're a marijuana user, you are at greater risk of being victimized by law enforcement than by the real criminals" If you knowingly and willingly break the law, you are not a "victim," you are a "volunteer."

RenegadeSolutions

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 4:21 p.m.

Unusual Suspect, you really need to get out more often. The following "conservatives" fight the drug war, based on wasted resources and civil rights issues. This is like shooting fish in a barrel. -Milton Freidman, Mr. Friedman has an INCREDIBLE resume. He won the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize for economic science, won the "Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988 and received the National Medal of Science the same year". He was also an "economic adviser to Senator Barry Goldwater in his unsuccessful campaign for the presidency in 1964, to Richard Nixon in his successful 1968 campaign, to President Nixon subsequently, and to Ronald Reagan in his 1980 campaign." Here's a link to just one of this interviews http://rightwingnews.com/interviews/friedman.php -Gary Johnson, Former New Mexico Governor and Presidential candidate. -George P. Schultz for gods sake. Remember him? Ronald Reagons secretary of state? He helped write and signed on to this. Here's his take on it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304392704576377514098776094.html -14 sitting Latin American Presidents -Arnold Schwartenagger or however you spell his name. -Judge Jim Gray, Retired Orange County Judge I really could go on and on, but dont' have time. I wish someone would set up a public debate for me. I will debate ANYONE anyone at all about ending the drug war.

Unusual Suspect

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.

"Do you think the "law breaker" Rosa Parks deserved to be punished?" There's always one joker who will try to draw a parallel between his own beef and the Civil Rights movement, isn't there? Whether it's speed limits, the seat belt law, motorcycle helmet law, or something else, this angle is always brought out to try to make anybody feel like a victim and justified in breaking whatever law they feel inconvenienced by. And it always seems to be a liberal, doesn't it?

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:55 p.m.

It is appropriate to point out that one way to get bad laws changed is for people to break them.

taxpayingcitizen

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:47 p.m.

Mike - is it really appropriate to compare racial equality to a ingesting a mind-alerting substance?

Mike Parent

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:35 p.m.

Do you think the "law breaker" Rosa Parks deserved to be punished?

redwingshero

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:27 p.m.

Who's more detrimental/dangerous to society; a murderer/rapist or a guy that likes to listen to Jerry Garcia and forget about his 8-5 purgatory in a cubicle while smoking pot? I guess it all depends on what your standard of crime is I suppose. I understand the law is the law, but why the excessive force for someone who's not even selling/distributing it?

RuralMom

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.

Break Federal Law or State Law? Its not illegal if you are authorized under State Law, only Federal.

theodynus

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:18 p.m.

Regardless of what the law is, do you really think it's appropriate to have 10 guys with HK MP5's to break into your house in the middle of the night for a victimless crime that 41 percent of Americans have committed? This is as much about tactics as it is about the law.

Jim Rhodes

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:05 p.m.

Young people do not enter the world of drug trafficking because they like drugs. They become involved because of the huge profit potential. By US Department of Justice estimates, Mexican drug trade revenues exceeded $39 billion last year. According to published reports, David Gaddis, DEA Deputy Chief of Operations, said drug prices have never been higher and drug quality has never been lower. Does anyone ever wonder what keeps the price up? What business exists that enjoys increases in price and market share as quality decreases? What is the artificial influence in the marketplace that makes the revenue potential so attractive to young people and others looking for easy money? What factor in the illegal drug business cycle would we remove if we wished to quickly change the profit potential and the attractiveness of drug trafficking? Think about it.

David Briegel

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.

I agree with Chase and would suggest that A2.com ask Rich Kinsey to do a column, unpopular though it might be, to address the issues raised. The futile attempts to continue this failed war on sanity is counterproductive to citizen cooperation with the legitimate work of our law enforcement community.

redwingshero

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:10 p.m.

Interesting op-ed, but IL was slightly dissapointed with the lack of substance to the 'toy' story.

Chase Ingersoll

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:26 p.m.

People need to take an honest look at the pathologies of individuals who go into law enforcement and which sector. In the legal field we saw those who had a "lust for prosecution" apply for jobs as prosecutors, in the hopes that they could legally persecute all of the kind of people they did not like. Countering them were the social workers with "bleeding hearts" who resented capitalism in the form of disliked owners of private property so they would go into legal aid and willingly represent deadbeats who made all kinds of false allegations. In the Police, FBI and penal systems, you will have those that go into the profession because they find the war on crime a mentally challenging sort of chess game, or that they knew someone was a victim of a crime. But others will enter the field because they want to have lots of time to work out and then to be able to legally smash someone in the mouth. Throw all of these extremes together and it makes for an entertaining show played out in the media in many forms, but I don't think it makes for much of a civil society. And, most of our politicians are drawn from the pool of participants in this battlefield, so if they are not one that entered the battlefield with a less than desirable pathology, they have both the visible scars and unseen injuries from the various traumas they saw and suffered on the battlefield. Chase Ingersoll "We have met the enemy We through these

Gargoyle

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:16 p.m.

I've found that if you don't break the law you don't have to worry about the police breaking down your door.

JS

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:10 p.m.

And BTW, Martin Luther King Junior had some things to say in regards to laws... Might wanna check it out, unless you enjoy just doing what you're told without actually assessing whether a law is just or unjust. We can always be sheep, it's easier.

JS

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.

Yea, I suppose one has to be stoned to buy cars on Sunday while attempting to seduce unmarried women.

Gargoyle

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:12 p.m.

@JS No, because I'm not high all the time. @Mike Parent - might be exaggerating just a little.

Ron Granger

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.

I guess you haven't read the many news stories of innocent people who were killed or terrorized when the police "got the wrong house".

Hmm

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 3:07 p.m.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95475&page=1#.T6vZfejS7wE http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-family-says-police-terrorized-122210,0,3385060.story http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/jul/08/drug-raid-goes-bust/ I could do this all day...

Woman in Ypsilanti

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:51 p.m.

yes. That is why the law must be changed.

Mike Parent

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:42 p.m.

I wonder if you'd say that when some DEA agent shoots your dog, gives you an M-16 colonoscopy and then find out they raided the wrong house. OR, www.std.com/obi/Police.Notes/Nashua.NH

Major

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.

Keep telling yourself things like that, it will all be ok, it won't happen to me, I'm not worried about it... the sheeple mantra.

JS

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.

I assume then that you don't ever drink on trains (436.201 Drunkenness on train prohibited. Sec. 1.), or ever seduce or debauch an unmarried woman (750.532 Seduction; punishment. Sec. 532.), or buy or sell a car on Sunday (435.251 Motor vehicles; sale on Sunday unlawful, exception. Sec. 1.), right? Laughable.

EyeHeartA2

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:08 p.m.

Trying to turn lemons into lemonade here, it was probably time to get some new sex toys anyway. Something tells me the old ones were kind of.....vintage.

Top Cat

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 1:08 p.m.

Ms. Gholson makes a lot of sense.

Hmm

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:23 p.m.

Excellent op ed piece, well said Charmie

smokeblwr

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:06 p.m.

I came for the sex toys, but am leaving disappointed.

ssAA

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:22 p.m.

TWSS

Wolf's Bane

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:54 a.m.

Unfortunately Marijuana is still an illegal substance in Michigan so don't be surprised if the law comes knocking. Believe it or not, popular opinion has shifted over the years, and I really believe that a majority of people regard marijuana as just a silly drug and nothing more. The days of the $5.00 pot law are gone and I seriously doubt anyone on City Council would be foolish enough to go near the whole dispensary mess again which has pitted regular merchants against dispensaries. My advice, quit.

Laura

Sat, May 12, 2012 : 1:40 a.m.

Do you believe nicotene, alcohol, and caffeine should be illegal too?

Wolf's Bane

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 2:30 p.m.

I will always believe that marijuana or any drug (for that matter) is silly and should remain illegal.

johnnya2

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 12:30 p.m.

Actually marijuana is legal in Michigan. The FEDERAL government can charge you with a crime, but the state can not if you have a medical prescription. I always am amazed at how the right wingers can scream about the 10th amendment and states rights, yet have no issue with the "drug war" being run on a national level. If I grow, sell and use pot in MY home and never leave the state, how can the federal government claim they have ANY jurisdiction. We all know that pot is one of the most benign drugs in the world. It is safer than nicotine. alcohol. aspirin or caffeine. There has never in the history of record keeping been a case of death by marijuana overdose. I guess in this country a drug that can and has caused deaths in exchange for an erection are ok, but one that brings people happiness, or relief from pain can be a felony

RuralMom

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:35 a.m.

Keep up the good work Charmie!

Silly Sally

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:31 a.m.

A great article and posting, but damaged by the "Sex Toys" in the headline for needless sensationalism. SWAT cops are needed; sometimes, but they are called out far too often, because they are available and it is a training exercise. If you watch old TV shows, police would lean suspects up against a car or wall. It once happened to my brother when he returned to our home after it had been burglarized. Now, they ORDER everyone to the ground, even if they are wearing nice clothes and it is muddy. Why, Because they can. Police officers should keep this in mind. This can turn a police supporter into a police hater in an instant.

kraiford12

Tue, May 15, 2012 : 3:37 p.m.

Why is the author of this article referring to people as "Trolls"? Doesn't seem very... civil

kraiford12

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 9:54 p.m.

@RenegadeSolution I was simply commenting on Silly Sally's comment of frisking people against a wall compared to making people get down on the ground. And yes, it is an officer safety issue. Current training highly advises against frisking people up against walls. Yes, officers frequently handle situations where people have little to no respect for their authority or well-being. They are not mindless soldiers. There are always exceptions. As a majority they are people, with jobs, just looking to get home at night. Not sure why you think my reply to this comment is about the entirety of the article.

RenegadeSolutions

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.

This is not an officer safety issue, it is a product of the failed drug war. Did you read the article? I'm beginning to think Kraidfor is a troll, because he keeps reiterating the strategy/messaging of prohibitionist. "Prior to Nixon declaring the drug war, raids like this were unheard of. The original purpose of SWAT was to respond to domestic violence attacks, snipers, or hostage situations. The Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Officials Act made equipment and facilities available to civilian police in the anti-drug effort, and the Pentagon began equipping local police with M-16s and armored personnel carriers such as the "Colonel" tank owned by the Oakland County Sheriff's Department. State and local police departments increasingly accepted the military as a model for their behavior and outlook. The problem is that the mindset of a soldier is simply not appropriate for a civilian police officer. Police officers confront not an "enemy" but individuals who are protected by the Bill of Rights." Police are no longer peacekeepers. They don't have relationships with the people they are working with. Retired Major Neill Franklin told me last week that during his 32 years of working for the Maryland police that he once chased a guy drag racing all across town. the man dumped the car and ran off. Neill found out where he lived, knocked on the door, gave the man 22 tickets and went back to work. Our current day state of police treating citizens like enemy combatants, instead of American citizens with rights, is a result of the militarization of the police, like I documented in the oped. It is because we are in the midst of a civil war, the longest running one our county has seen. Remember, none of these tactics make society safer, and paramilitary police actually create danger where none previously existed.

kraiford12

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 5:51 p.m.

That's an officer safety issue. Several reasons why you may opt to order someone down rather than to a frisk while they are leaning against a wall. Giving someone a wall to push off of gives them too much leverage if they decide to attack. Also, in dealing with multiple people, it's easier to order everyone down with hands in view rather than order against a wall standing. You have much more control/leverage over someone who is on the ground or not leaning on a wall (doing a standing frisk where you keep the subject slightly off balance). Officers shouldn't have to put their lives/safety in jeopardy for the convenience of others (given then have a reason to do so). I'm sure most officers would rather go home safe with someone mad at them for dirtying their clothes than no go home at all.

fishjamaica

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:21 a.m.

Right On.