[Peace-discuss] End militarization of police, drug laws

[C. G. Estabrook]

These two articles are typical examples of the need for

    [1] serious civic (not "civilian"!) review boards with the power of subpoena 
and dismissal (both of which, e.g., the Urbana Civilian [sic] Police Review 
Board lack, owing to the capitulation of the city government); and

    [2] the end of all drug laws; America's second great experiment with 
Prohibition has been as bad or worse than the first and should simply be ended; 
the laws are used as a charter for police to suppress potentially dissident 
groups (e.g., drug use is roughly the same for all races in the US, esp. if 
controlled for class, yet drug prisoners are overwhelmingly black).


"Dog Day Afternoon: The Militarization Of American Police"
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/09/17/dog-day-afternoon-the-militarization-of-american-police/

"Corrupt US officers admit to forced entry, theft"
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=106565&sectionid=3510212