U.S. - Joe Biden says he 'regrets' supporting 'tough-on-crime' drug laws in 1990s

[S.J.B.]

Joe Biden says he 'regrets' supporting 'tough-on-crime' drug laws in 1990s as he considers presidential bid
Jonathan Martin, Astead W Herndon
Independent
January 22nd, 2019

Former US vice president Joe Biden has said that he regrets supporting the "tough-on-crime" drug legislation of the 1990s.

Mr Biden, who was first elected to public office the year after Martin Luther King's assassination, made the comments at an event to commemorate the birthday of the civil rights leader.

Speaking at the event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Mr Biden spoke about his remorse over a bill that created different legal standards for powdered cocaine and street crack cocaine.

"It was a big mistake that was made," Mr Biden said of the measure, which has been criticised as disproportionately affecting black Americans. We were told by the experts that 'crack, you never go back', that the two were somehow fundamentally different. It's not. But it's trapped an entire generation."

The former senator, who helped write the 1994 crime bill now cited as having led to an era of mass incarceration, said that he "may not have always gotten things right" in regards to criminal justice.

Read the full story here.

 

[S.J.B.]

I'm quite happy to forgive a repentant drug warrior. Their crusade is just a reflection of the fears and ignorance of the common people, after all. I'd rather look forward to positive developments than look back in anger at the worst of it...

 

[cj]

I wish he had been more vocal about reforming drug laws when he was vice president.

 

[neversickanymore]

America, the "land of the free" has so many laws that it's impossible to enforce them. There is no need to when you can pick and choose to promote and enforce your objective. That's how simple that is.

 

[busted.produk]

I'm quite happy to forgive a repentant drug warrior. Their crusade is just a reflection of the fears and ignorance of the common people, after all. I'd rather look forward to positive developments than look back in anger at the worst of it...

^^^This is very well said and i didnt think i agreed with the sentiment before reading it.
Thank you for the perspective.

 

[Felonious Monk]

I'm quite happy to forgive a repentant drug warrior. Their crusade is just a reflection of the fears and ignorance of the common people, after all. I'd rather look forward to positive developments than look back in anger at the worst of it...

Agreed, but he could be a lot more repentent for all the damage he caused. He didn't do shit to support harm reduction as VP and he spoke against medical marijuana with his platform. Fuck Biden. We'll have progress when his generation is dead and buried--they're stonewalling progress from the local level all the way up to Federal.