Barack Obama on Weed
Posted on February 5th, 2008 by bile Categories and Tags: Uncategorized, Barack Obama, crime, Democratic Party, drugs, freedom, John F. Kennedy, liberty, New Hampshire, politics, regulation, Republican Party, Ron Paul, The Times, The Washington Times, United States Senate, Washington, your rightsLately, Barack Obama has been quoting John F. Kennedy: “The world is changing. The old ways will not do.” For a few hours the other day, I was starting to think he really meant it.
On Thursday, The Washington Times reported that in 2004, as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Obama came out for decriminalizing marijuana use. That usually means eliminating jail sentences and arrest records for anyone caught with a small amount for personal use, treating it more like a traffic offense than a violent crime. But in a show of hands at a debate last fall, he indicated that he opposed the idea.
When confronted on the issue by the Times, however, the senator defended his original ground. His campaign said he has “always” supported decriminalization.
It’s a brave position, and therefore exceedingly rare among practicing politicians. Which may be why it didn’t last. Before the day was over, the Obama campaign issued a statement saying he thinks “we are sending far too many first-time non-violent drug users to prison for very long periods of time” but “does not believe that we should treat offenses involving marijuana with a simple fine or just by confiscating the drug.” Recently, he had told a New Hampshire newspaper, “I’m not in favor of decriminalization.”
This episode reveals that as a candidate, Obama is more fond of bold rhetoric than bold policies. But it also proves the impossibility of talking sense on the subject of illicit drugs during a political campaign. That course of action would mean admitting the inadmissible: that the prohibition of cannabis has been cruel, wasteful and fraudulent.
It would also mean he has a backbone and is for real change and not tinkering with the status quo. A friend tried to get me to support Obama. Said he had a real chance of getting elected and was second best to Ron Paul. I very sternly let him down by telling him not a chance in hell. Obama’s looking to in the least continue the same old Washington bullshit while giving lip service to “change” at at worst will grow our federal government to even more. I don’t care about youth, speaking ability or race. I surely don’t care about a new Camelot or a weak policy on the drug war.
2 Responses to “Barack Obama on Weed”
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February 6th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Ron Paul has actually stated that he will release all non-violent drug offenders. Pretty sweet if you ask me. When talking about immigration he has also stated, "The law is the law and it ought to be enforced". So I worry about whether he actually will release non-violent drug offenders or fall back on his "Befehl ist Befehl" defense when elected.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:20 am
You are comparing apples and oranges. Drug prohibition is unconstitutional. National security is not. You are also cherry picking his position. He has clearly said on numerous occasions that immigration is two fold. National security and economic. The economic problem he said should be dealt with by removing all unconstitutional incentives we give the illegal immigrants. He’s not for deporting them wholesale or building a wall. He very obviously is pandering to the large majority of voters who want the borders secured and some may argue that the Constitution grants no powers with regard to immigration but only naturalization… but you’ll have to argue how national defense and immigration are related with him.