This Reason post is a good exhibit about why comment threads are sometimes worse than useless.
Shortening Radley Balko's bullet points even further:
In January 2008 a North Little Rock SWAT team raided a guy's home. He was asleep, thought he was being robbed, reached for a gun. A cop saw him reach for a gun and shot him. Other cops heard the shot and also shot him.
After ten days in intensive care he was transferred to police HQ, questioned for five hours, and eventually jailed, where his woulds got infected because the guards wouldn't treat him.
No drugs found. A scale and some plastic bags found (the guy's sister says they're part of her jewelry business). Guy charged with running a drug enterprise, meanwhile the neighbor who saw the whole raid may have been intimidated (by police) into silence.
After one newspaper article, the judge in the guy's case issued a media gag order. (To be as charitable as possible, this probably involves fear of a tainted jury pool.)
To recap: In today's America you can be home-invaded (on a no-knock warrant granted three weeks earlier -- Balko points out why this time lapse is incongruous), shot at, left to rot (literally!) in jail, then face trumped-up charges.
The comments started out well: Offers to contribute to a (hypothetical) legal defense fund for the guy. Then it descended into this "legalize drugs now!" (which I agree with) "wake up and revolt, people!" (which I don't) miasma, which of course is exactly what will endear a cause to ordinary people.
I'm not holding my breath for enough Reason commenters to get their act together and actually arrange funding and/or advice for the defendant. But I hope I'm wrong.
No-knock raids and general police brutality aren't a campaign issue right now but ought to be (what would've been the best high-profile example of this instead got framed as a racial issue by certain publicity whores). Certainly worthier of a candidate's time than gimmicky oil tax policies.
Posted by Matt Bruce at May 7, 2008 11:33 AMThe gag order's been lifted.
Posted by: Dave at May 7, 2008 12:25 PMNo-knock raids and general police brutality aren't a campaign issue right now
I strongly suspect that any campaign issue would actually conclude with the candidates trying to outdo each other in advocating increasing the first in the name of "winning the war on drugs" and "getting tough on crime".
Or, to put it another way, locking people up and throwing away the key for being involved in drugs is very popular in the US. Dont expect politicians to be against a policy that is wildly popular.
Posted by: Kubi at May 7, 2008 04:14 PM