Jim Webb's Quest To Reform War On Drugs Gains Momentum

[Tchort]

The Washington Post has a long and rather glowing examination of Virginia Senator Jim Webb's effort to reform U.S. drug policy and the criminal justice system:


"I am, at bottom, a writer," he says, invoking his default response. "I start with a theme, rather than a plot." Webb wants to shape a plotline that, with each turn of the page, draws America closer to reinventing its criminal justice system. Questioning why the United States locks up so many of its youths, why its prisons swell with disease and atrocities while fundamental social problems persist in its streets, has earned Webb lavish praise as a politician unafraid to be smeared as soft on crime. And when a law-and-order type as rock-ribbed as Webb expresses willingness to consider legalizing or decriminalizing drugs, excitement follows.

Indeed it does. The whole article is worth reading, as it really captures the energy that's beginning to build behind Webb's efforts. There's nothing surprising about this to anyone who's been paying attention to the drug policy debate that has been escalating for years and erupting in recent months.

Still, even The Washington Post itself has been slow to grasp the potency of Webb's call for reform. Last December, The Post published a similarly lengthy account of Jim Webb's quest to reform criminal justice policies, but that article portrayed him as a crazy idealist stepping into political hot water:


"It is a gamble for Webb, a fiery and cerebral Democrat from a staunchly law-and-order state."

"…as the country struggles with two wars overseas and an ailing economy, overflowing prisons are the last thing on many lawmakers' minds."

"…Webb has never been one to rely on polls or political indicators to guide his way."

"Some say Webb's go-it-alone approach could come back to haunt him."

And yet The Post is now reporting that Webb's efforts are gaining support, including "encouraging signals" from Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and even President Obama. The Post's earlier suggestion that Webb's efforts could alienate him were based on the same "soft-on-crime" political theory that we've been hearing for two decades now. The second they got wind of Webb's criminal justice reform proposal, they interviewed a bunch of people about what a maverick he is and how his ideas are so unique. The whole thing reeked of the implication that only a strange politician would care about improving our criminal justice system.

To be fair, yes, Jim Webb is a bit of a maverick and clearly his plan is unique. I don't fault The Post for making Webb's personality part of the story. But it didn't make sense to frame criminal justice reform as a fringe idea and it's not at all surprising that The Post is now forced to concede Webb's political savvy. Obama spoke on the campaign trail about "shifting the model" in the war on drugs, and while that was hardly the defining issue of his candidacy, it was utterly uncontroversial throughout the campaign. It's a simple fact that criminal justice reform, including discussion of reexamining drug laws, is a perfectly legitimate and mainstream political topic that any politician can approach without inviting any consequential backlash.

One of the most immediate and intrinsically valuable aspects of Webb's effort is precisely that it serves as a mechanism for illustrating the importance of this discussion. I don't doubt that it will become controversial (if our drug policy truly faces due scrutiny as Webb intends), but by the time that happens, he will have firmly established the principle that debating criminal justice policies is a relevant and necessary exercise at this moment in American politics. If we can reach a point at which the media coverage is focused on the issue, rather than the personality quirks of Jim Webb himself, that's when we'll know his efforts are paying off.

7/6/2009

StopTheDrugWar.org

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2009/jul/06/jim_webbs_quest_to_reform_the_wa

 

[drug_mentor]

This Jim Webb sounds like a politician that actually cares as much about changing things for the better rather than just getting more power for himself.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I'm glad someone's pointed out that we're sending a lot of our own children away to jail.

I always wondered, what did parents of children charged with drug violations think? "Oh, I'm so glad my little Johny is behind bars, he would have kept smoking weed if Uncle Sam didn't teach him any better!" or something along those lines?

"My Suzy was on a path of self destruction and I'm glad she's being raped behind bars instead of popping E at a rave like she was when she got arrested..."

"I know my son is an alcoholic, but he'll certainly change his ways. I'm sure it's harder to be an alcoholic once you've been anally raped in prison. "


I mean, really, did no one think for a second "maybe the war on drugs is just a way to take my money and freedom away from me and my family"? Did everyone just ignore the big pink elephant in the room and decide that the government really had a good idea for their child's life?

 

[jamaica0535]

finally a politician who is not afraid of the backlash from getting up in front of people and saying that the way we are handeling the war on drugs is flawd and needs to be re thought out....

 

[diche]

U-S-A U-S-A!!! If they do it, Canada will copy them

 

[Deleted member 75492]

^Canada is a few steps ahead of the U.S. with "technically" having Cannabis decriminalization in certain parts of the country.

Try smoking a joint in front of a cop anywhere in the USA...

 

[PepperSocks]

Yeah, we have pot rallies and such up here. Cops are there to keep the peace but never arrest anyone. Canada day festivities are full of pot smokers who never get hassled.

I was at an outdoor concert and at the gate they ask you to empty your pockets. I kept pulling things out one by one and as soon as I pulled out the pack of rolling papers the lady told me to go on through; she didn't want to see what else I had.

At large though it's still something that we have to hide and I would like to see that changed. We shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed for responsible drug use. Canada won't do squat until the US does.

 

[qwe]

I'm glad someone's pointed out that we're sending a lot of our own children away to jail.

I always wondered, what did parents of children charged with drug violations think? "Oh, I'm so glad my little Johny is behind bars, he would have kept smoking weed if Uncle Sam didn't teach him any better!" or something along those lines?

"My Suzy was on a path of self destruction and I'm glad she's being raped behind bars instead of popping E at a rave like she was when she got arrested..."

"I know my son is an alcoholic, but he'll certainly change his ways. I'm sure it's harder to be an alcoholic once you've been anally raped in prison. "


I mean, really, did no one think for a second "maybe the war on drugs is just a way to take my money and freedom away from me and my family"? Did everyone just ignore the big pink elephant in the room and decide that the government really had a good idea for their child's life?

"tough love"