n the late 1980s, President George Bush declared the “War on Drugs” that since has increased enforcement against illegal drug trafficking and created tougher laws against usage and selling of currently illegal drugs. Now, presidential candidate George W. Bush would like to continue in his father’s steps.G.W. Bush supports stronger penalties for first time cocaine possession, even though he remains silent about allegations of his own cocaine use as a young adult. Bush also supports creating even more tough drug laws, despite many discouraging results.The Drug War has greatly increased the number of people in the prison system for non-violent crimes. Specifically, by 1992, more people were in federal jails for drug charges than for all crimes in 1980. Today, 60 percent of federal prisoners and 22 percent of state prisoners are drug offenders. Twenty percent of felony convictions are for drug trafficking and 12 percent are for drug possession. Keep in mind that cultivation of a single marijuana plant is a federal felony. Right now, over 250,000 Americans are incarcerated on drug charges, about 60,000 for marijuana charges. New speculation is arising that one of the reasons so many jobs are readily available is because so many people are in prison.Many laws designed to catch big illegal drug traders end up catching small fish and ruining their lives in the process. A one-year minimum prison sentence is mandated for anyone distributing or manufacturing controlled substances within 1,000 feet of any school, university or playground. I hope no one living on or near campus is growing a marijuana plant at home.One of the larger claimed successes of President Bush’s War on Drugs was a 22 percent decrease in cocaine use. However, some evidence suggests this decrease had little to do with government policies, because the decrease was only in the middle and upper classes. Poor people were found to use more cocaine and heroin by 1992 than since the beginning of the Drag War. Crime also increased and general drug usage remained the same.Treatment was supposed to be a significant part of President Bush’s War on Drugs. However, the lack of focus on treatment is now its biggest criticism. In 1992, only $1.1 billion were given for treatment of drug and alcohol abuse. Dr. Peter Pinto of the Samaritan Village estimated that, to treat 4 million addicts, at an inpatient service would cost $60 billion annually, compared to the $100 billion it takes to keep them in jail. Treatment programs generally take longer than prison sentences and would keep drug dealers off the streets longer as well as attempt to rehabilitate them.G.W. Bush’s approach to treatment is a little different, but not any better. He is a strong supporter of faith-based initiatives to fight addiction. The United States already has a problem dealing with 12-step recovery programs, which often, but not always, get past separation of church and state by claiming to be spiritual, not religious. Numerous court battles have and are being fought around the nation over the constitutionality of forcing or coercing inmates in to such recovery programs. For example, in 1996, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that “Adherence to the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) fellowship entails engagement in religious activity and religious proselytization.”What G.W. Bush wants to do is much worse. He wants to completely shatter the wall between church and state and actually give state dollars to faith-based organizations that explicitly proselytize religions, primarily fundamentalist Christianity, and practice discriminatory hiring policies. Bush has said that he wants to promote alternative licensing regimes that recognize religious training as an alternative form of qualification for delivery of non-medical social services. And finally, Bush also wants to establish an “Office of Faith-Based Action,” in the Executive Office of the President, and provide federal funds for the establishment of state offices of faith-based action.Tax dollars for Christian ministries? Alternative licensing for the religiously trained? U.S. Presidential Office of Faith-Based Action? This has much more to do with advancing and appeasing the religious right than it does with getting Americans to be drug free.G.W. Bush has said himself, “Government can only be a part of the solution. I encourage all young people to take care of their bodies and abstain from using tobacco, drugs or alcohol.” Bush should head his own words. Every year, taxpayers fork over $17 billion directly for the Drug War, not to mention all the money spent on prisons. In this case, the Republican Party should stick to lowering taxes rather than locking up hundreds of thousands of non-violent criminals and pushing religious reform on free Americans.
Martha Knox is a senior fine arts painting and drawing major and an anthropology minor from Medina, Ohio.
