A noxious Sentinel editorial today endorses an ignorant and prejudiced position on needle exchange at http://www.santacruzsentinel.
Pretty sad, of course, and recalls the right-wing solutions to abortion and unwanted pregnancy: “abstinence”. Why not call out the cops to go after moms and doctors? Oh, wait, isn’t that now the law in some states?
COMMANDER STEVE CLARK ON STEROIDS
Deputy-Chief Clark’s “more cops and crackdowns” and “ramp up the war on drugs” approach is a proven failure. His “cut off the needles and they’ll go away” nonsense feeds and feeds off a widespread form of magical thinking in the community that blames “excessive Santa Cruz tolerance.” Looking at the Drug War racket that funds cops, courts, jails, and prisons (and, of course attorneys) it’s been clear for years that Prohibition is the real problem. One doesn’t even have to be “compassionate” to understand the common sense that a black market will always find profiteers and customers. And create new criminals, even as the old ones, are stuffed into overcrowded pens. Pretty crazy stuff.
A RESPONSE FROM PLEICH?
I’ve asked Steve Pleich–a long-time needle exchange volunteer to write an informed response and also to speak about the issue on tonight’s Free Radio Santa Cruz show between 6 and 8 PM (streams at http://tunein.com/radio/FRSC-
SENTINEL “CORRECTION”
Today front-page story on the shutting down of the Lower Ocean Needle Exchange “corrects” the Sentinel story the day before that I refer to in the previous update. That Sentinel story claimed it was a unanimous secret vote at the Closed Session of City Council to authorize the City Attorney to threaten and initiate “cease and desist” actions against the landlord allowing needle exchange in his parking lot. Today’s Sentinel comes out with a different tale:
“Barisone said he had not heard about the exchange before this week but said a majority of council members — not a unanimous number as initially reported by the Sentinel — approved beginning code enforcement activity after Lower Ocean neighbors raised concerns about the needle exchange.”
The full Sentinel story (though what the truth is, I don’t know) can be found at http://www.santacruzsentinel.
MEANWHILE BACK IN THE REAL WORLD…
To find real solutions, you’ve first got to abandon the hype and hysteria and look closely at the effectiveness (or not) of medical approaches in other countries like Injection Rooms, Inhalation Rooms, for hard-drug users.
Unless they choose to hold a special session, there’ll be no City Council meeting until the second Tuesday in February (the 12th).
Sane folks better get ready to deal with a tide of Drug War Insanity.
FULL STORY AT http://www.indybay.org/