Accountability and the War on Drugs

[Magik]

Hi, I'm a link to an article.

So, here's the cliff notes:

- Rachel Hoffman, an acquaintance to me, was a recent FSU graduate and small time drug dealer (weed, sometimes ecstasy)
- She was busted for a relatively small amount of marijuana; in exchange for hard time, the police offered her leniency if she helped them with a sting operation.
- This small-time dealer was told to call her supplier and receive ecstasy, cocaine, and a gun--a glaring change from what she usually purchases.
- After making arrangements, she goes missing for two days until her her body is found in a rural area outside of the city.

What do you guys think? Should the police share some of the responsibility for her death?

Looking at the broader issues, who are the victims of this War on Drugs? Where is the benefit? The justification?

More articles on Rachel:
Howdy.
Why, hullo.

[altoecko]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

Prohibition never works but it's not as if people's social stigma's about drugs will go away over night. It's going to be a hard and long battle to end the war. The police should be punished. How much? I'm not sure.

[Red Dragon]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

In that issue, yeah police are really accountable for this. They shouldn't of left an inexperienced girl out of thier sights especially for a dangerous sting operation.

As for the War on Drugs....

No Comment.

[Translucid]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

hahahahahahahaha war on drugs.
also that's pretty sad.
hahahahahaha, war on drugs.

[John Mora]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

What's so bad about NOT DOING DRUGS SHEESH

It's at least less expensive. {:3

[Nixon]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

That's very sad, and yes, I think the police should be held accountable, given the circumstances.

I have a friend who smoked everyday and got her masters, maintaining a 4.0 GPA the entire time. Her actions didn't affect me or anyone else in any way. She's doing a lot better on her own instead of being forced to live off taxpayer money in prison.

[DK]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

I know this will make me unpopular but I don't think the police are accountable, they gave her a choice between that and jail and she made it. Maybe she shouldn't have been handing out E.

That is according to their circumstances, though. As for the war on drugs in general I don't do drugs I don't want to do drugs and I don't like my friends using drugs but that is a personal thing and if you do drugs and it doesn't affect me then I really don't care all that much in the grand scheme of it all.

I am sorry for your loss Magik, and I'm aware I appear very insensitive and ignorant about the subject but it is truly how I feel and I hope in time I'll be a little more open minded about it all but after going through the past few years of seeing a lot of close friends ruined by drugs it is a little difficult to have that scope.

[Duel]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

Drugs are bad, mkay.

[altoecko]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

Drugs are not bad, it is when you let them rule your life or you look to them for an answer is when they get bad. It's the same for alcohol or really any mind-altering substance. I do a plethora of drugs and while I'm not the average, i am still a (relatively) productive member of society.

[Dusk Raven]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

That just... sucked the joy out of me. And kind of shocked me...

As for the war on drugs, I just use the 18th Amendment (I think) as an example. It doesn't work, it just sets up big black-market businesses. If we actually legalized it, we could set up legitimate businesses, and probably cut the crime rate a good deal....

[Jamos]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

Sorry about your friend. Was stupid of the police to have her do something so dangerous. "k u act odd front ta suplier. durp." Such a drastic change in behavior would certainly get people suspicious. So yes, I would say they are accountable.

As for drug use, I think it is stupid to begin with. I've only seen negatives out of them. Other than a buzz, they are useless.

[thetruecoolness]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

And the pharmaceutical companies get away scot free with some things arguably as dangerous and just as habit forming, truly a win-win. I agree that the smartest thing the government could do would be to legalize the drugs and put regulations on them. Though a black market would still develop the government would make tons of money of it instead of wasting money on things like this. It's really impossible to stop the drug dealers as they have a lot of protection, and you can't keep tabs on everything that comes in and out of your country. A lot of it is really stupid as alcohol can be just as dangerous in excess as many other drugs and put just as much strain on our health care system, yet it's perfectly legal and highly accepted (almost to the point where if you're an adult and don't use it you're looked down on like you're weird or something).

As for the liability I'm kind of with Dreamy on this one, yes they should have kept better tabs on her, but they did give her a choice and she chose the more dangerous one for the hopes of her record being less tarnished and not having to sit in jail (not the best choices to choose from, but breaking the law was a choice as well, as stupid as this law is, it's still the law and breaking it has consequences). An apology to the family I think would be in order, though I would think that's really about all they owe. Just taking a completely objective stance here, while it probably comes off cold.

[Sampson]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

Am I against the war on drugs? Absolutly.

Do I think the police should be held accountable? Not at all.

Your friend had a choice and she made the wrong one. I'm sorry but I don't respect snitches at all. So she avoids five years of prision, rats her supplier out and they get fifteen? Yeah, that's fair. (And no, her supplier wasn't a "worse" person than she was just because they were selling in larger quantities)

I've spent my time in "the game". They say snitches get stiches for a reason. Her death is completely unjustfiable in every sense of the word, but she knew what she was getting herself into.

[Alzar]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

she was a white hippy girl, i don't think she knew "the game"

[Armored]

Re: Accountability and the War on Drugs

Do I think the police should be held accountable? Not at all.

If the police wanted to catch these guys they should have gotten the narcotics div going undercover against them. Putting the life of a minor offender at an unacceptable risk of danger shows complete disregard for the serve and protect mantra. Lower her sentence for information, not undercover POLICE work.