The Drug War Has to End: David Simon on "The Wire" & Over-Policing of the Poor

[damnedifIknow]

Democracynow.org - In his acclaimed TV show "The Wire," David Simon captured the city of Baltimore from the angles of street-level drug dealers, beat police officers and journalists covering corrupt politicians. Earlier this year, President Obama described "The Wire" as "one of the greatest, not just television but pieces of art, in the last couple of decades.”

[Bjorn Against]

1. I highly recommend Simon's new mini-series "Show me a Hero"

The final episodes air this Sunday, if you have HBO the first four episodes are airing in repeats and are on the HBO Now streaming service. The acting is great and the story has a lot of political relevance especially on issues of race and class.

[Peace Patriot]

2. "The drug war must end!" Y-E-SSS!!!

Great interview! This, and 'TRADE SECRET' vote counting machines (which are everywhere in the U.S.), are THE two most important structural policy issues that we must solve, if we want to be citizens of a good and just country.

We can NOT solve any other problem as long as we have 'Trade Secret' vote counting. The system is extremely riggable, and has been rigged. But right up there as the No.2 biggest problem in our democracy is the corrupt, murderous, failed 'war on drugs.'

Thank you, David Simon, for "The Wire"! Absolutely brilliant TV series! And thank you, "damnedifIknow" for posting this interview.

[JDPriestly]

3. Thanks for your post.

With regard to the drug war, I would like to hear from some inner city doctors, maybe emergency room and other hospital doctors. They handle drug overdoses and deal with addiction when drug seekers come to their hospitals.

What is there view on how to handle the drug problem?

I wouldn't narrow it just to inner city doctors, but I would narrow the inquiry, the investigation, to doctors who deal with addicts, addiction and the panoply of medical problems that drugs cause.

What is their view on the drug war, on legalization, on incarceration, on all the alternatives for dealing with the medical problems that drugs cause?

Then I would like to hear from people who deal with the social problems that drugs cause?

Would ending the drug war result in a worse or a better situation?

I honestly don't know. What is happening now is terrible. But what are our choices? And can we get a better understanding of the problems?

Does poverty play a role or perhaps not?

What is the role of race?

How do drugs exacerbate the rates of other crimes?

Which drugs? What neighborhoods?

[jomin41]

4. JDP: Your questions have been asked and answered

a thousand times, in books, articles,etc, etc. If you really are interested, check out "Chasing the Scream" by Jonathan Hari. I Have a shelf full of books on the subject. Google is your friend. The ACLU has a good position paper on it. The damage being done by current policies is huge, unnecessary, and unsustainable. I can't believe how people ignore it.

[Peace Patriot]

5. Thank you, jomin41! So true!