The Coming Draft?

Forget Iraq. A powerful Republican Congressman wants a draft to boost America's longest running war, the war on drugs. If he gets his way every American may soon be forced to become a government spy. As chair of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is in a position to enact it, too.

Under the legislation, any American who witnesses or learns of certain drug offenses taking place would be required to 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 two year prison sentence and a maximum of ten years.

Imagine finding out that your son gave a joint to his college roommate and having to choose between turning him over to the police and going to jail yourself. Imagine being forced to wear a wire and go undercover to set your friends and family up. This is the kind of police state Congressman Sensenbrenner's legislation would create.

His legislation, entitled the "Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act" (H.R. 1528), would also create mandatory minimum sentences for every federal offense and enact a variety of new draconian penalties for non-violent drug offenses, including a 5-year mandatory prison sentence for anyone who passes a joint at a party to someone who has been in drug treatment at some point in his or her life.

Outraged citizens are encouraged to fax their members of Congress here.