Turn in your friends and family legislation. How destructive.

[lilymercury]

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/200548/

Spy vs. Spy

By Bill Piper, AlterNet. Posted May 18,

snip>
Neighbors spying on neighbors? Mothers forced to turn in their sons or daughters? These are images straight out of George Orwell's 1984, or a remote totalitarian state. We don't associate them with the land of the free and the home of the brave, but that doesn't mean they couldn't happen here. A senior congressman, James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), is working quietly but efficiently to turn the entire United States population into informants--by force.

snip>
Here's how the "spy" section of the legislation works: If you "witness" certain drug offenses taking place or "learn" about them, you must report the offenses to law enforcement within 24 hours and provide "full assistance in the investigation, apprehension and prosecution" of the people involved. Failure to do so would be a crime punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year prison sentence, and a maximum sentence of 10 years.
In each of these cases you would have to report the relative to the police within 24 hours. Taking time to talk to your relative about treatment instead of calling the police immediately could land you in jail.

In addition to turning family member against family member, the legislation could also put many Americans in danger by forcing them to go undercover to gain evidence against strangers.

Even if the language that forces every American to become a de facto law enforcement agent is taken out, the bill would still impose draconian sentences on college students, mothers, people in drug treatment and others with substance abuse problems. If enacted, this bill will destroy lives, break up families, and waste millions of taxpayer dollars.

snip>

H.R. 1528 also establishes new draconian penalties for a variety of non-violent drug offenses, including:

* Five years for anyone who passes a marijuana joint at a party to someone who, at some point in his or her life, has been in drug treatment;
* Ten years for mothers with substance abuse problems who commit certain drug offenses at home (even if their children are not at home at the time);
* Five years for any person with substance abuse problems who begs a friend in drug treatment to find them some drugs.

These sentences would put non-violent drug offenders behind bars for as long as rapists, and they include none of the drug treatment touted in the bill's name.

snip>

WTF? Is this America? This from the "Family Values" administration?

How many lives do they want to destroy? How many prisons can they build?

It is reprehensible that in this country someone can go to jail for smoking a joint each day, but someone can drink a fifth of scotch a day with no repercussions unless they drive.

I have seen so many families totally destroyed by alcohol, but very few by marijuana.

How do we fight such draconian measures? Such insanity?

I get more sickened by this administration each day. I have nothing left to vomit as this police state grows more absurd.

I, for one, will NEVER be forced to turn in anyone for anything, unless it is a pedophile.

How much worse can this country become? Much worse, I'm afraid, much, much worse if this measure were to pass.

[bluestateguy]

1. Bringing small government to you one day at a time

Oh and Sensenbrenner is fat.

[lilymercury]

3. Sensenbrenner is fat?

What does this have to do with this hideous bill he has introduced?

[Benhurst]

5. He is addicted to food. He should be turned over to the Federal

Fat Patrol immediately. There's nothing like several years of prison food to take off the flab.

BushAmerica working for a better world.

[lilymercury]

6. Got it!

[SmileyBoy]

57. Oh yeah, that's a REAL great thing to say about overweight people...

I just feel SOOOOO included and non-offended as an overweight person myself, who has trouble controlling his eating habits. I just remembered that we were still allowed to make fun of people who are overweight and have eating problems.

Thanks for setting me straight!!!:thumbsup:

[LightningFlash]

2. What has happened to Sensenbrenner?

Surely he couldn't have become a completely evil corrupt person? I thought he was one of the remaining checks in the Judiciary. The Government Judiciary which holds them all accountable....

[lilymercury]

4. This man is insane. n/t

[rodeodance]

61. he got 'patriotitis"-also author of Real ID act -which just passed

[lilymercury]

75. What a surprise,

NOT!

[Heidi]

7. I'm no conspiracy theorist . . .

but I do find it interesting that all of the same fear tactics and emotional cues used to indoctrinate (and misinform) a generation of DARE students are now being leveraged by the Republican Party to misinform voters (many of whom are former DARE students). You might say that DARE offered conservatives a way to "grow their own" constituency.

(Edited for clarity.)

[BiggJawn]

8. So DARE is to the ReTHUGs like the Hitlerjugend was to the Nazis?

Yeah, I can see that. I HATED having to participate in DARE, but when you have kids in Public Schools...Indoctrination of the WORST kind. My kid and me DID "Discuss this at home" later. Mostly I explained how the Bill of Rights was supposed to work.

More of that "For the Children" Bullshit...

"We need to take away your Rights so your kids can inherit a safe, FREE world..."

[Heidi]

9. When I first heard about DARE . . .

as a newspaper reporter, and read all of the program materials and sat in on some sessions, the message that disturbed me most was that kids should talk first to the cops about their parents' drug use, and that there was very little talk about treatment, responsible choices, etc. It was like, "ALL drugs are bad." What hypocrisy.

Don't even get me started. I'm glad you balanced your kids' DARE experience with truth.

[BiggJawn]

12. It's a horrible program.

ALL drugs are BAD!
Unless your daddy drinks too much, because Adults are ALLOWED to drink.

I really hated it. Afdter what I went through with my ex-stepkids in Rehab, I could have taught the damn thing at least as well as "Sgt. Stedenko" with his bullshit about "Grass", and mickey mouse "tats" laced with LSD...


Can you even GET LSD anymore? The more this world goes down the shit-hole, the more I'd like to find some Orange Sunshine and just check out for a while....

[Heidi]

13. How can kids believe anything adults say . . .

when authority figures like cops are making such sweeping generalities about drugs? They don't make mention of Ritalin, Prozac, Xanax, Cialis/Viagra and the other Big Pharma "magic" that's keeping many families together these days, do they?

I dunno. Maybe I'm just a cranky old hippie chick, but I've actually seen DARE make kids curious about drugs.

[aeolian]

22. D.A.R.E.

Drugs Are Really Excellent.



we were a sarcastic group of kids. :evilgrin:

[killbotfactory]

24. Drugs, Terrorism, Iraqi WMD

All bullshit fear tactics designed to give politicians more power.

[lilymercury]

28. I totally agree, brainwashed for the vote. n/t

[fishwax]

71. yep, great point

I never had to participate in that program, but it was brought in shortly after I left ... pretty creepy stuff.

[rodeodance]

77. it is the same strategy isn't it.

[Eloriel]

10. Oh, man, better start building prisons -- lots and lots of prisons

In fact, better make the whole damn country a prison except for a few enclaves for the rich and famous (who'll never, of course, be troubled by the likes of THIS law).

I'm absolutely stunned.

And note the harsher (by double!) sentence for MOTHERS. Don't imagine this won't include mothers who have substance abuse problems while pregnant (but no way to get treatment because there's no ROOM and a waiting list and they can't afford private treatment).

[Heidi]

11. Oh, they've got that handled.

Prison building in the U.S. has progressed at astounding rates since the early 80s (Reagan era), when mentally ill folks were turned out of hospitals and into the streets, and regular working folks were faced with "aggressive union busting, corporate deregulation, and especially the flight of capital in search of cheaper labor markets . . ."

Here, these folks say it better than I do: http://www.prisonactivist.org/crisis/evans-goldberg.html

[lilymercury]

18. Microsoft is one of the

corporations using this slave labor to box software. Wish I'd bought anything but windows os.

And I remember how horrible it was during raygun, the people forced out of the mental hospitals onto the streets, it was so sad and frustrating.

The desperation of the people is growing and it is terrifying to try to imagine where this all will lead.

Peace

[lilymercury]

19. Just read your link, WOW! could it be more obvious?!

Each vote in the House and Senate help these subhumans in their quest.

Everyone needs to read this page!!

Thanks for the link Heidi.

Peace

[Horse with no Name]

14. Great use for all those army bases they don't need anymore

Also prisons make good employment for those that are drafted but are non-deployable--like conscientious objectors, etc.
It's like it's own eco-system on steroids.:sarcasm:

[Stand and Fight]

15. System of a Down.... Lots of truth there. n/t

[lilymercury]

16. Bet they will be selling corporations the closed

military bases to start.

How many families have/will be destroyed over a simple plant? They take away decent paying jobs and many turn to dealing pot to survive, IMO, then waste tens of thousands of taxpayer $$ to imprison the "offenders" per year.

People only trying to ease pain are treated as criminals. People only trying to end horrible nausea so they may eat a meal, criminals.

I get more disgusted each day over this horrible fascist regime called "the government". They ignored their own findings on the lack of harm caused by pot in the Nixon admin. and it has only gone downhill from there.

Peace

[G_j]

17. better to pass H.R. 1259

bill to send James Sensenbrenner to the moon (one way)

[lilymercury]

29. Let's put the entire House and Senate on that

moon trip if they continue to kiss W's a** and pass everything he longs for.

[Canadian Socialist]

20. Is this a direct quote?

"* Ten years for mothers with substance abuse problems who commit certain drug offenses at home (even if their children are not at home at the time);"

If so, how come only the MOTHERS are implicated?

[lilymercury]

27. As far as I can tell, direct quote.

They hate us for our mammeries!

[Cleita]

21. Welcome to the Totalitarian States of America comrade.

No one should cooperate with this shit. They can't shove everyone in jail unless they start building camps. Oooh that's beginning to sound so Nazi.

[lilymercury]

30. USSA, sickening. n/t

[killbotfactory]

23. That's insane

A giant step backwards. United States Uber Alles.

[lilymercury]

31. repuke "family" values,

put a loved one in prison.

[NorthernSpy]

25. this is right-wing bolshevism

This scheme exalts loyalty to the almighty State above loyalty to family; it intrudes upon the sanctity of the home; and it effectively abolishes the very notion of private life in America.

Sensenbrenner is not a conservative. America does not have conservatives anymore. What we have are Bolsheviks of the far right.

[lilymercury]

32. The end of the world as we know it,

I wonder if they will start requiring non-stop video taping in our homes?! Electronic bracelets for all.. Oh wait, they are already going to try this, Real ID. Nothing private ever again?

What a bubble this country has created. I used to fire off a LTTE and never worry that someone would "report" or censer me, now I hesitate and as Rummy warned recently in the face of the Koran desecrations reporting, am very careful as to what I say.

Is this America? or did I wake up in Nazi Germany?

[Paranoid_Portlander]

43. At our homes, rather than in our homes.

The snoop camera could be attached, for example, to the telephone pole just out side our front doors, and pointed at the front doors, using the excuse that the telephone pole is not private property. This would cost hundreds of billions of dollars which the Thugs would not hesitate to spend. Also, I am wondering when employee drug testing will be required by law, not just allowed by law, with exemptions for Bushkissers.

[lilymercury]

46. Good point, the ever present lightpole.

The drug testing is out of hand now, and I see I'm not the only one that believes it will be taken further. Testing for these slave jobs is ridiculous. Who cares if the cashier at wally world smokes a joint? Why should anyone working as a basic slave be kept from a basically harmless pleasure just to remain a slave?

I believe it will go further and soon anyone receiving any type of social service will be required to test.

When are the politicos going to get tested? They have control of so much and I've never heard it mentioned. I also believe that the drug testing is being used to keep many out of even slave wage jobs, with hopes they will commit any offense to keep the corporate prisons filled to overflowing, further enriching asshat's buddies with generous contracts to build more prisons.

It just gets worse all the time. Even my 71 year old mother, a lifetime republican, is sickened by the greed and control being used by these freaks. she tells off anyone that calls from the repubes wanting her to admire asshat.

I am sickened by it all and never thought I'd say it but I'm becoming so ashamed to be an american. I'm tired of having to apologize to the world for our gov's horrible policies and destruction of innocent lives in the name of "spreading democracy".

I can't take much more of the disgust and disappointment that comes with each new action by "our" legislators. I used to look forward to the future, now I am dreading it more each day. I'm not so sure there is hope for this country anymore.

Sorry to sound so negative, it's just been so frustrating watching so many unable to find any life sustaining employment for whatever reasons.

Stay safe! :hi: :banghead: :rant:

[Paranoid_Portlander]

42. USA = United Soviet America

.

[lilymercury]

48. Amen!

[Swamp Rat]

49. You got that right...

[Heidi]

26. Kicked and nominated. (nt)

[lilymercury]

33. Thanks Heidi, ALL need to become aware of this

disgusting legislation of a madman. Unfortunately, methinks there may be too many that will support such BS destruction of families.

Too often I hear "If you have nothing to hide it shouldn't bother you"!! All I ever answer to that is.. Baaa, baa, baa.

[Heidi]

36. I forgot to welcome you to DU!

So, hey! Welcome to DU! :hi:

[lilymercury]

47. Thank you Heidi! It's great,

to have found others with their blinders off!:hi: :woohoo:

[Heidi]

72. Another kick for the Sunday crowd. (nt)

[Mnemosyne]

34. Destruction of the family,

this is sickening. :puke: :mad:

kick: kick:

[SmokingJacket]

35. This is so nutty I can't quite absorb it.

Is he getting kickbacks from the prison industry, or what? What in the world could be his motivation?

Is there *any* possibility that this could be passed, or is he just posing?

This country is really teetering on the edge of madness. Let's hope we don't go full over.

[Heidi]

37. When fear-mongering is one' strong suit . . .

you'll always be able to get people to vote for something out of fear of the alternative. Check out the link I posted above. There's a whole economy in our country built on fear.

[lilymercury]

50. We are indeed teetering on the edge of madness,

jug·ger·naut comes to mind when thinking about this government.
n.

1. Something, such as a belief or institution, that elicits blind and destructive devotion or to which people are ruthlessly sacrificed.
2. An overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path: “It doesn't assume that people need necessarily remain passive when confronted by what appears to be the juggernaut of history” (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt).:grr: :nuke:

[NorthernSpy]

38. everyone needs to know about this...

... needs to know just how far some of our opponents want to go.

:kick:

[Mythsaje]

39. Yeah

I caught this on alternet the other day. This is SERIOUSLY screwed up thinking.

As other poster's said, DARE was a bunch of bull. And, the worst part about it is that they KNOW it. This is almost a last-ditch effort to strengthen the War on (Some) Drugs before the next generation, the ones who've seen both the good and bad, and have some actual first-hand knowledge these idiots DON'T have, get the chance to vote.

The Drug Warriors are running a bit scared, considering that the younger generations are growing more and more tolerant of cannabis, at least. They KNOW it's not the 'assassin of youth' and, eventually, will add their votes to those of generation X and Y (ever notice we're getting to the end of the alphabet here--makes ME wonder, anyway)to send their propaganda machine crashing down.

[lilymercury]

51. But will their voices be heard or silenced?

We've learned that our votes don't count much anymore!!

And what will generation Z be? Total mindless drones? It's a mystery for sure and frightening to even contemplate.

:wow: :shrug: :hi:

[LuPeRcALiO]

40. can work camps for drug offenders be far behind?

arbeit mach frei!

[Paranoid_Portlander]

45. Maybe that's why military bases are being closed.

Not just for drug "offenders" but also for dissidents whom the govt disapproves of.

[lilymercury]

53. Camp anyone? Hell no, we won't go!!! n/t

[LynnTheDem]

41. *click* *click*

Jawohl, mein Führer!

*click*

Das ist kein Problem, mein Führer!

*click*

Mist...wo ist meine Papiere...

Sheisse Buchstabierung...!

:D

[lilymercury]

54. Love it! and your sig line! n/t

[LynnTheDem]

58. Thanks!

Took me ages to figure out how to rhyme bush & blair, LOL!

[lilymercury]

66. Glad to be of service Lynn! LOL n/t

[Hello_Kitty]

44. This endangers people!

Does this assbag have any idea what drug dealers do to informants? Or what if the drug offender is also an abusive spouse? The wife who is already terrified of him should turn him in so he can kill her when he gets out on bail?

I'm not a pot smoker myself but someone could fire up a joint right in front of me and there's no way I'd turn him in. There are so many more dangerous things in the world to be worried about than a weed that makes you giggle and eat munchies.

[lilymercury]

55. You'd think the food corporations

would be worried about losing all that munchie money!

[chaska]

52. It's time to bring back tarring and feathering.

[lilymercury]

56. I'd sell my house to help buy the feathers! n/t

:evilgrin:

[rodeodance]

59. whow--the penalites are horrible

.....H.R. 1528 also establishes new draconian penalties for a variety of non-violent drug offenses, including:


Five years for anyone who passes a marijuana joint at a party to someone who, at some point in his or her life, has been in drug treatment;
Ten years for mothers with substance abuse problems who commit certain drug offenses at home (even if their children are not at home at the time);
Five years for any person with substance abuse problems who begs a friend in drug treatment to find them some drugs.

These sentences would put non-violent drug offenders behind bars for as long as rapists, and they include none of the drug treatment touted in the bill's name.

[rodeodance]

60. tried to nominate this important story but the time is too late

[rodeodance]

62. they always choose these great names also !! not!!

H.R. 1528, cynically named "Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act,"

[rodeodance]

63. they always choose these great names also !! not!!

H.R. 1528, cynically named "Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act,"

[lilymercury]

64. It's amazing and horrifying the lengths they

will go to to control the population now.

"Land of the Free"? I'll never be able to sing that song ever again. Oh well, it was hard to sing anyway!

:hi: :shrug:

[Paranoid_Portlander]

70. Life in prison...

... for three strikes with certain drug "offences". It's in H.R. 1528.

[lilymercury]

74. 3 joints and then a life sentence!!!

How much worse could it get? Idiots!!

[The Straight Story]

65. Here is a link to HR1528

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.1528:

[lilymercury]

67. Thanks for the link, I forgot to include it!

This bears watching closely. Hmm, short term memory loss? LOL

:hi:

[CelticWinter]

68. hi lily all I can say is

The land of the Freeeeeeeeeeeeee......cough choke gag
pathetic times we live in

[Mnemosyne]

69. Amen my friend, Amen. n/t

your love and support have helped me get through it all!! You are a blessing to my life!

:hi: O8)

[area51]

73. kick. (n/t)

[Andy_Stephenson]

76. Isn't Nancy Regan aka Skeletor

the reason we have DARE?