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posted by azrael on Friday July 11 2014, @02:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the time-to-rethink dept.

A report at Alternet gives some context to the amount spent by the U.S. on its drug policy.

  • 1,100 - The number of Americans that die each year due to violent crime caused by the drug war
  • $51 billion - The amount that the U.S. government spends each year on the war on drugs
  • 61 percent - The percentage of individuals targeted by drug-related SWAT raids who are people of color
  • 82 percent - The number of Americans who believe that the government is losing the War on Drugs
  • 18 months - The age of Bounkham "Bou Bou" Phonesavanh, a recent American casualty of the drug war

The article goes into further details on the number, including:

On May 28, a team of police officers raided the Phonesavanh's home, with the mistaken belief that the residents were involved with drugs. As they entered, they tossed a flashbang grenade that landed directly in the crib of baby Bou Bou, which exploded within point-blank range - critically injuring him.

In a harrowing article, his mother, Alecia, described seeing "a singed crib" and "a pool of blood", and later being informed by medics: "There's still a hole in his chest that exposes his ribs". Alecia said that the sole silver lining to this story is that it may "make us angry enough that we stop accepting brutal SWAT raids as a normal way to fight the war on drugs".

Fortunately, Bou Bou has been making a gradual recovery, but his family is relying on donations to support their living and medical costs.

 
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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Sir Garlon on Friday July 11 2014, @03:39PM

    by Sir Garlon (1264) on Friday July 11 2014, @03:39PM (#67638)

    Since at least the early '60s when SWAT was invented, the trend has been for politicians to curry votes by being "tough on crime." This is the result. This is what previous generations voted for.

    If you're unhappy with the current state of affairs, please realize that we didn't get here overnight. It was fifty years of incremental change. There is plenty of blame to go around, from the media who sensationalize violence in order to get ratings and destroy the public's sense of proportion, to the politicians who are supposed to safeguard civil rights but find it easier and more profitable to play to that fear, to the voters who are fine with police kicking in doors and throwing grenades as long as they do it in another neighborhood, to people of a different color.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 1) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @10:24PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @10:24PM (#67873)

    the media who sensationalize violence in order to get ratings and destroy the public's sense of proportion

    People who consume lamestream media AND THINK THEY ARE GETTING USEFUL INFORMATION are the problem.
    Since Helen Thomas retired, all that the White House press corps^W^W steno pool will ask is softball questions; they don't want to be barred from the 5 o'clock follies. [google.com]

    Ad-dependent media won't do ANYTHING that jeopardizes their revenue stream.
    They won't do ANYTHING that might offend a potential advertiser (read: megacorporation).
    You'd have to be a fool to think that when you plop down in front of your TeeVee that you have any chance of getting any truth.
    TeeVee became mindless entertainment decades ago, yet it is still the primary source of "information" for many people.

    The vast majority of "journalists" are simply presstitutes.
    They are more than willing to bend over for the gov't. [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [rall.com]

    -- gewg_