http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nixon-drug-war-racist_us_56f16a0ae4b03a640a6bbda1
Ehrlichman provided some shockingly honest insight into the motives behind the drug war. From Harper’s:
“You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
It’s not news that the drug war is all about racism. But the “antiwar left” included white people, so it’s not just about race. If I were to guess, I’d say that more poor people voted in the 60s and 70s. Now? Not so much. Hard to blame us, really…
I have to wonder, who are the enemies of chronic pain patients? Why have we been targeted? Just like the “antiwar left and black people,” pain patients are poor and can’t fight back. But are we big enough in number to make a difference at the voting booth?
Maybe, but who the fuck would we vote for?
Under comments:
Ian Mentken · Founder at Cod and Cowboy Design
I will say the obligatory “what happened today in Brussels was horrific and tragic,” but truly it is nothing compared to the devastation we have wrought upon our own citizens.
Dan Ibrahim
Even with this revelation, I neither bear or carry ill-will against any man. Black people, collectively have no agenda to hurt any race or group of people. I don’t know what might a plausible justification for a scheme to cause grave harm to this group of people by some people in certain quaters. Please help us make the world a better place for all in every small way you can. It begins with speaking out against injustices like this. Please do something in your own small way. Thank you.
All Things Chronic 
I suppose that IS where the power lies for pain patients – in the high numbers. But then how can you have the drive to do anything when in severe unrelenting pain – unless ‘it’s’ do-able in small actions? And, like you say WHO (voting etc) can you go to? We seem to have the same problem regarding a political party you actually want to vote for!
🙂
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As a majority of my poor community, I’ve found most don’t vote. Then they sit around & complain about the outcome, or when their benefits change. It really ticks me off. I’ve been known to tell them that they have no reason to complain, if they didn’t vote. I personally find those who don’t vote less American, than those that do. This kind of mentality really disguste me.
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Reblogged this on Kate McClelland.
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