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MacKenzie Allen, the retired deputy sheriff and a currently a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), has the #1 question in YouTube’s “Ask Obama” contest, in which President Obama will answer the top-voted questions in a live interview to be broadcast this afternoon from the White House. Allen’s question got twice as many votes as the next-highest voted question.
Allen asks Obama:
Good evening, Mr. President. My name is MacKenzie Allen, I’m a retired law enforcement officer and member of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). The so-called “War on Drugs” has been waged for 40 years at a cost of a trillion dollars and thousands of lives, with nothing to show for it but increased supplies, cheaper drugs, and a dramatic increase in violence associated with the underworld drug market. Sir, do you think there will or should come a time for us to discuss the possibility of legalization, regulation, and control of all drugs, thereby doing away with the violent criminal market as well as with a major source of funding for international terrorism? Thank you so much for your time, Mr. President.
LEAP notes Obama’s previous inability to take the issue seriously:
The Obama White House has previously asked citizens to submit and vote on questions via the web several times, with marijuana and drug policy issues rising to the top virtually every time. During a town hall meeting following one such round of voting in 2009, President Obama laughed off a marijuana legalization question, saying, “I don’t know what this says about the online audience.”
This week Jon Walker at FDL noted that marijuana and drug questions were the top 5 overall; NORML’s blog reported that as of yesterday, the top 100 questions were all about marijuana and drug policy. Allen’s question, as a law enforcement professional, will be hard for Obama to ignore. That’s not to say he won’t do his damnedest to do so.
Congratulations to Just Say Now supporters, who helped solidify Allen’s question as the #1 video for Obama’s interview today. We’ll report back on what happens with this question.
22 Comments
Why is O so allergic to these Qs? Why so attached to War on Drugs? Just prison-industrial complex or sometime more emotional for him?
Hes just going to use the opportunity to enthusiastically uphold the “centrist” staus quo, while maybe laying on a thick dose of clinton – like “empathy”
I think it would be fair to remind Obama that the online audience elected his stupid ass.
O has some history with drugs. I’ve forgotten what it is. Cocaine? Or just mj?
Both, according to his wiki. Someone should ask him about his personal usage, dontcha think.
The protection of the status quo, the protection of corporations and profits over citizens, has been demonstrated again and again. (See: BP Oil Spill, HCR, FISA and Retroactive Immunity for Telco, Immunity from prosecution for Bushco War Criminals, and Jail or worse for Whistleblowers).
Billionaire drug dealers – entrepreneurs winning the future – seem to be likewise a protected class – absent from the public discourse, immune to scrutiny and immune from prosecution.
Only the smallest of small fries get busted for drugs.
“empathy”, understanding, I did weed as a child and I want kids to not do weed, serious look,
but no policy idea or suggestion or even direction on where his thinking will be revealed.’
Why folks think he will respond with “decisions or actionable words” ?
Why do folks think any Obama response reflects his actual intentions?
There was both MJ and Coke use according to O’s autobiographies.
Those online people! Ha, ha! What a bunch of cards!
Why aren’t you people cheering for Obama? Must be drug addicted, immature, fucking retards.
/Markos
Why can’t we harass him? Have a little fun, at least. *g*
Obama Inc
a good read
http://www.truth-out.org/jim-hightower-obama-inc67200
True “g”
It does make him angry – he has a nice thin skin!
I’ll sit back and enjoy. :-)
he will share the TIME cover with Raygun…poifect
hahahahahhaa
especially when Cornell West ride his disingenuous ass
West is a gem. No bs about that dude.
Thank you!
I think that is really interesting as you can walk in any CVS drug store in the DC metro area and get a home use kit for helping the user know he/she is clear for any drug testing. So, apparently the issue is taken quite seriously by all those Federal civilian workers, DoD subcontractors (what’s left of the IT/Tel-Sat-co and other white collar work) and other Federal contractors/subcontractors who want to keep their jobs and stay qualified to keep them. Why isn’t this important to the US chief executive?
Because it is causes a storm of noise from the Right, and he doesn’t like the noise.
Just answered with a total non-answer. Legalization was NOT a topic “worth exploring.” Focused mainly on “shrinking demand” and equated marijuana with crack and drunk driving. A complete Prohibitionist. Like talking to a wall.
Remember that in 2012.
Because nobody drug tests him :)
MacKenzie Allen’s view is brave and deeply progressive. O isn’t.
“President Barack Obama said on Thursday that fighting drug abuse demanded a broad public health effort to curb demand for narcotics, but repeated his opposition to outright decriminalization.” – Reuters
Legalization was NOT a topic “worth exploring
Public health issue – not just legal way to put blacks in jail – plans no change in Federal Law.
Well – the above was what I could have written before he spoke! sigh …
Obama’s two minute response to the 100 most popular questions on his forum makes this point clear: NOW is the time to start the campaign for Nader. As long as Democrats continue to receive support from legalization advocates, policy will NEVER change. If the tens of millions of us there are out there give our support to Nader, both Republicans and Democrats will HAVE to listen to us.
Just Say Now, NORML, LEAP: START THE CAMPAIGN NOW!