Inappropriate Punishment
I found myself reading about how the UK Attoney Generaly is demanding of federal prosecutors to send people to jail for as long as possible for drug offences. This is a clear example of politicising what is in effect a healthcare, particularly a mental healthcare issue. Should those who supply illegal drugs be punished? Yes of course. Should those who have been caught up in a cycle of addiction be punished? NO!
People who suffer with addiction need treatment and understanding in order for them to be well. To send them to jail, to appease a false sense of outrage is not the answer. I say this because of an innate hypocrisy when it comes to drugs and addiction. It is perfectly acceptable in white middle class circles for a person to be a problem drinker and then to get that person help. However, it is not acceptable in those same circles for people who are caught up in drug addiction to get treatment. To add to this, there is also an unspoken racism at work here. Far more black and Hispanic drug users go to jail for their offences as opposed to white users.
If the US Attoney General feels like getting his legislative muscles on, why not get behind the FBI investigation into the interference of Russia in the US General Election. If Aaron Sorkin was to do a West Wing 2 based on the current state of affairs in the White House, no network would pick it up. The reason? Because it would seem too far fetched for reality.
