Pubdate: Sun, 22 Jan 2006
Source: Monitor, The (McAllen, TX)
Copyright: 2006 The Monitor
Contact:  http://www.themonitor.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1250
Author: Kirk Muse
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/racial.htm (Racial Issues)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

WAR ON DRUGS REPLACES SLAVERY

To the editor:

In 1963, when Dr. King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech,
we had about 200,000 total prisoners. Today, largely because of our
war on drugs policies, the United States has more than 2.2 million
prisoners.

It's obvious that the so-called war on drugs is actually a war on
(politically selected) people - and black people are those politically
selected people.

Even though blacks and whites use illegal drugs at about the same
rate, blacks are 13 times more likely to go to jail or prison for a
so-called drug crime.

Where is the outrage? Where is the outrage from the black
community?

Where is outrage from the so-called black leaders? Where is the
outrage from America? Where is the outrage from the rest of the world?

The whips and chains of slavery have been replaced with prison
cages.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin