NH Cop To McCain: Drug War Blows

The following piece was produced by HuffPost's OffTheBus. A related post can be found on Send the Right Message.

John McCain does a lot of town hall meetings, and he's usually quite pleased to get questions from law enforcement officers, firefighters, and military personnel. Sunday evening at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH, may have provided an exception.

It would be an understatement to observe that this was not the usual question: "I've served here in my state as a law enforcement officer for going on 9 years now, and after nine years working the street, I've come to the conclusion that the War on Drugs is a terrible failure... I have seen firsthand that the War on Drugs causes crime, it causes children to have access to drugs easier, and it does nothing to curb the problem of drug abuse. Just like Alcohol Prohibition after the the 18th Amendment passed, the country wised up and we passed the 21st Amendment which curbed the violence problem in this country greatly. What is it going to take for powerful politicians such as yourself to realize that the War on Drugs is a failure and we need to... we need to get smart about drugs, not tough. We need to be smart."

McCain responded: "Thank you, sir. It's going to take a lot before I adopt your viewpoint."

This drew some laughs and scattered applause from the crowd. But it was only the beginning of a three minute answer.

McCain rested the first part of his rationale for the War on Drugs on the pharmacological differences between alcohol and drugs. He claimed that most experts agree alcohol is fundamentally different in that only alcohol can be moderately consumed.

The senator did say he would support a small increment of reform. "I will agree with you to this extent, that too often we put first-time drug users in prison," he said, and was quickly interrupted by applause from a smattering of college students.

This drew a smile and a joke from McCain, who then went on to say he supports a program in Arizona that gives first-time offenders a treatment option. McCain said such a program should be implemented nationally.

"We have too many first-time drug offenders in prison," he repeated. "I think we all know that."

But McCain cited policy experiments in Europe which he said were a failure, and he said the U.S. should work with Mexico to do continuing battle with drug cartels.

"I will do whatever I can to help you combat these drug dealers, these terrible people who prey on America," he told the officer.

The New Hampshire police officer questioning McCain was Bradley Jardis, a speaker with the organization Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (L.E.A.P.). Jardis rocked the boat earlier this year when he testified in favor of ending Marijuana Prohibition before New Hampshire legislators. He says he enforces the laws because it's his job to do so, but he feels it is his duty as a citizen to speak out against a policy which he says needlessly destroys lives.

McCain then directed a question at Jardis, continuing the exchange:

McCain: I just want to ask one other thing. Do you think methamphetamine ought to be legal?

Jardis: I think what we need to look at is the drug policy.

McCain: Yeah, but you know, it's one thing to talk about policy. It's another thing to talk about specifics, and with all due respect, do you think methamphetamine ought to be made legal?

Jardis: I don't think that if someone gets caught with methamphetamine, we should be putting them in prison, period. We should be helping them. We should help people who are addicted to drugs, not spend $69 billion a year to put people in jail. If you arrest somebody, it does not solve the problem. You just said that there are drug cartels. There would not be drug cartels if we were to regulate drugs. In Switzerland they have public heroin clinics where people can go and get help with clean needles to come off drugs There's no doubt that drugs are dangerous, but our policy does not do anything to help people who are addicted. If you arrest a 16-year-old for possession of marijuana, and they get a criminal conviction, you can get over an addiction but you can never get over a conviction. They lose their funding to go to college, and no one could ever say that keeping a kid from going to college accomplishes something good. Not at all.

McCain: (interrupts) Thank you very much. I'm sorry you didn't have a position on methamphetamine, but I do agree with you. I do agree with you strongly. As I said, we have this program in Arizona that I'd like to see adopted nationwide that first-time offenders are given an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and to have a clean record. I thank you for your service, and I appreciate the discussion, and I look forward to continuing this dialogue because I in no way... do I in any way mean to diminish the magnitude of this problem and the terrible tragedies it inflicts on America every single day. Thank you, and thank you for your service.

At the event's conclusion, Jardis approached McCain, shook his hand, and handed him a L.E.A.P. DVD to watch.

Comments

[totalliberal]

All those who want drugs can get them now. What is the problem?

Not everyone wants drugs.

Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars to prevent a few hundred thousands from getting high.

Hell, if we get rid of all drugs, they will huff paint or gasoline.

It's not drugs. It's those who want to escape reality in one way or another.

[Pdubya]

hell, the conservative of conservati­ves...will­iam f. buckly jr is against the war on drugs...he­lloooo mccain?

next candidate please. this is getting easier each day.

[Pdubya]

Thanks, your article gave me even more confidence in my decision to support Ron Paul.

[realitytrumpsbull]

The Prohibition was largely deemed to be a
failure, too, and the War On Drugs is nothing
if not a modern-day continuati­on/re-enac­tment
of the Prohibition.

I personally don't view it as a crime if
there's someone smoking pot. I don't
advocate it, I don't condone it, I don't
do it, but I don't think it's a crime, either.
I think Lawn Force Mint is this interesting
thing that can grow and grow and grow and
grow and...you get the idea, and by the time
it all gets done you've got this massive thing
that costs billions and doesn't really do
anything for the public except probably turn
the police dept. into an armed camp. You
could probably write several books past that
point, but if you consider the basic issue
that the 'drug war' is largely a function
of failing to have good border security,
well I don't know what you call it but I
think Waxman will have a field day with it
if he ever gets around to it. Anyway,
having mega-uber runaway useless things
is part of why our country's running a huge
giant runaway red ink tab, I think if you
had it so dope was legal but bullets weren't,
that'd be a lot better for everybody.
I've known a few potheads, here and there,
and I think if people could grow their own
dope etc. that that would probably kill off
the multi-bill­ion-dollar criminal enterprise
that it's all become. The only threat your
average pothead is, is to a pizza. I think
they want to use it all as an excuse to
build more jail and prison cells. What really
DOES go on, don't you wonder a little sometimes?
Plastic hitler hats and guns...aga­inst unarmed
people...w­ell, I question it, anyway, and
hopefully Congresser will, too.

[n4m]

"He claimed that most experts agree alcohol is fundamentally different in that only alcohol can be moderately consumed."
Really? The experts say that.
Wow, I guess the experts know best.
The drug war is a success, carry on.

[leftLibertarian]

America, the cradle of modern liberty needs less government and more liberty.

Ron Paul for President!

[RAMHaiti]

If you have cartels in Mexico, then you probably have cartels in Arizona.

[fact finder]

McCain is an Idiot.

[StephenDedalus82]

This whole debate suffers from a severe lack of reality.

Anyone who has pot doesn't deserve jail OR treatment. It's less addictive than alcohol or nicotine (both legal), and also much less dangerous.

Addicts do deserve treatment rather than jail time. What century do we live in where personal failings that harm no one else mean we can lock them up (for a very long time)?

Can we PLEASE get over our drug hysteria in this country? Prohibition didn't work for alcohol (in fact it was the primary cause of organized crime), and it's not working for other drugs.

End the drug war. I know you want to. Everyone's doing it.

[jfor]

John McCain, A dollar short and a day late like usual. Once again he takes a politically expediant position based on campaign contributions and what the special interests want. Of course the drug war is a failure, America now has more people in jail than any other country on the planet. This is due to the leadership John McCain and other senior lawmakers have provided America over the last twenty odd years.

The drug war is big business, States and communities within them want federal prisons, for the jobs and other benefits. Prisons need to be built and they ain't cheap. More police are needed increasing the size of government, how republican. More police cars, uniforms, badges, weapons, new technologies, new police stations, more and more swat teams, satelite imagery, more judges are needed, more clerks to support them, more state provided attorneys, more handcuffs. The spending never ends.

The result of this outrageous intrusion into all of our lives is the congress mandated minimum incarceration of our fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends.

I would support the legalization of Methamphetamine, Heroin and Cocaine.

How many of us in here would run to wal mart and buy some heroin, a new needle and some cheetohs if it were legal now?

Now thats some straight talk.

[godlessclif]

Smoking marijuana is more fun than drinking beer!
But a friend of ours got busted,
and they gave him thirty years.
Maybe we could raise our voices?
Ask somebody why?

But demonstrations are a drag
besides I'm much too high.

Phil Ochs

[Lilybart]

If someone is arrested for having a small bag of pot, is McCain saying that he would give them treatment as an option to jail?? A month of expensive treatment ??!! Who says this person is an addict?

McCain is wrong on marijuana. It is NOT like heroin or crack or meth, which are drugs that are instantly physicially addictive. Pot is like alcohol. Some people have a joint on the weekends like others have some beers.