Have you ever stopped to think about our failed policies regarding " the war on drugs"? Have you ever stopped to think and compare it to the prohibition on alcohol? What I am getting at, is the lack of constitutional authority on our failed war on drugs. And we will examine why it is perceived as failed and why it is propped up by our overreaching government.
First, let us ask ourselves, does the federal government truly weild the power to prohibit anything? After reading our constitution, hundreds of times, I can find nowhere that this power is granted to our government, besides one. And that one instance, was once enacted, then repealed, the proper way.
For one, they enacted the 18th amendment, through proper process, which granted the authority to the federal government to prohibit and enforce the laws written around this amendment. Another thing that makes a law legit, is it has to coincide with our constitution. The 18th amendment reads as:
AMENDMENT XVIII
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.
Section 1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2.
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
Now in doing this, even though many were for, and many more were opposed, they pushed prohibition of alcohol, legally by going through the proper chanels, and following the blue print that is our constitution.
What followed was the boom of blac market sale, leading to poor quality liquor, the epidemic rise of violence between street gangs, and law enforcement. As well as the manufacturing of deadly alcohols. This culminated in a massive surge of a new "crime wave" where in most circumstances, before this amendment, the manufacturing and sale of alcohol was perfectly legal. Looking at this it was clear they had given birth to a much worse problem, creating "criminals" out of ordinary citizens, all while giving birth to a black market, multiple new street gangs, and fueling the flames of gang violence.
By the early thirties, it was apparent to most, on both sides of the issue, this did way more harm than good, and facilitated the rise of crime this country had not seen up until this point in American history. That is when, again following the constitutional process, they enacted the 21st amendment which repealed the 18th amendment and any policies and laws aroud it.
AMENDMENT XXI
Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.
Section 1.
The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2.
The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
It was clear to them that, the central/federal government prohibiting a substance like alcohol was too large a task, helped give birth to far worse problems, and realized it was an overreach of power and it was something that states should be tasked with policing.
Now fast forward to Nixon's declaration of the war on drugs. Was there ever a constitutional process put in place? Where did this war on drugs come from? When reading our constitution do you see any amendments giving congress and the federal government authority to prohibit what they call "controlled substances"? Of course not, and you must ask yourself, what happened between these generations that led to nobody questioning this declaration of authority? Why weren't their feet held to the fire on completely ignoring constitutional process? By this point in our country's history, it should be apparent that it is due to massive propaganda campaigns, brainwashing, and outright deception by those in power. But that is another article. All you need to know about this issue is in front of you.
The schedule for controlled substances that we have in the U.S. as well as most places in the world, was framework written by the U.N. Let that sink in, the U.N. policy know as the drug schedule was signed onto by Nixon and pushed on the American people through many new policies, executive orders, and federal laws.
Not once was there a call to write an amendment do grant this power to the feds, they jus declared this power invoking the schedule the U.N.had written just ten years prior. Examining the failed "war on drugs" we can draw many parallels to the 20's prohibition on alcohol and the "war on drugs". Explosion of crime, creating a new generation of criminals. Facilitating violent crime, the birth of a black market. But there are two main distinctions. The alcohol prohibition was constitutional and legal. They admitted defeat, and repealed it and moved on. What we have with the war on drugs is a totally different beast. It is unconstitutional, completely failed, and propped up to keep the prison industry booming while creating new criminals for the system to track and disarm. It is clear the past two generations have become so complacent, and look to security provided by the government that they have completely forgotten or have become contemptuous of our constitution. And that to me marks an all time low on the scales of justice in our country.
-Written by Jameson Chamlee
First, let us ask ourselves, does the federal government truly weild the power to prohibit anything? After reading our constitution, hundreds of times, I can find nowhere that this power is granted to our government, besides one. And that one instance, was once enacted, then repealed, the proper way.
For one, they enacted the 18th amendment, through proper process, which granted the authority to the federal government to prohibit and enforce the laws written around this amendment. Another thing that makes a law legit, is it has to coincide with our constitution. The 18th amendment reads as:
AMENDMENT XVIII
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.
Section 1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2.
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
Now in doing this, even though many were for, and many more were opposed, they pushed prohibition of alcohol, legally by going through the proper chanels, and following the blue print that is our constitution.
What followed was the boom of blac market sale, leading to poor quality liquor, the epidemic rise of violence between street gangs, and law enforcement. As well as the manufacturing of deadly alcohols. This culminated in a massive surge of a new "crime wave" where in most circumstances, before this amendment, the manufacturing and sale of alcohol was perfectly legal. Looking at this it was clear they had given birth to a much worse problem, creating "criminals" out of ordinary citizens, all while giving birth to a black market, multiple new street gangs, and fueling the flames of gang violence.
By the early thirties, it was apparent to most, on both sides of the issue, this did way more harm than good, and facilitated the rise of crime this country had not seen up until this point in American history. That is when, again following the constitutional process, they enacted the 21st amendment which repealed the 18th amendment and any policies and laws aroud it.
AMENDMENT XXI
Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.
Section 1.
The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2.
The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
It was clear to them that, the central/federal government prohibiting a substance like alcohol was too large a task, helped give birth to far worse problems, and realized it was an overreach of power and it was something that states should be tasked with policing.
Now fast forward to Nixon's declaration of the war on drugs. Was there ever a constitutional process put in place? Where did this war on drugs come from? When reading our constitution do you see any amendments giving congress and the federal government authority to prohibit what they call "controlled substances"? Of course not, and you must ask yourself, what happened between these generations that led to nobody questioning this declaration of authority? Why weren't their feet held to the fire on completely ignoring constitutional process? By this point in our country's history, it should be apparent that it is due to massive propaganda campaigns, brainwashing, and outright deception by those in power. But that is another article. All you need to know about this issue is in front of you.
The schedule for controlled substances that we have in the U.S. as well as most places in the world, was framework written by the U.N. Let that sink in, the U.N. policy know as the drug schedule was signed onto by Nixon and pushed on the American people through many new policies, executive orders, and federal laws.
Not once was there a call to write an amendment do grant this power to the feds, they jus declared this power invoking the schedule the U.N.had written just ten years prior. Examining the failed "war on drugs" we can draw many parallels to the 20's prohibition on alcohol and the "war on drugs". Explosion of crime, creating a new generation of criminals. Facilitating violent crime, the birth of a black market. But there are two main distinctions. The alcohol prohibition was constitutional and legal. They admitted defeat, and repealed it and moved on. What we have with the war on drugs is a totally different beast. It is unconstitutional, completely failed, and propped up to keep the prison industry booming while creating new criminals for the system to track and disarm. It is clear the past two generations have become so complacent, and look to security provided by the government that they have completely forgotten or have become contemptuous of our constitution. And that to me marks an all time low on the scales of justice in our country.
-Written by Jameson Chamlee