Le Sheng Liu
May 24th, 2005, 07:49 PM
If you have a few extra minutes, click this link to tell your Congress members to oppose the pending piece of legislation below. It would require you to snitch on your fellow citizen who sells drugs, and you would go to jail if you don't. It's being touted as a bill to promote rehabilitation efforts. Really what it's gonna do, as with nearly all U.S. drug laws, is put millions of tax dollars into police and prison spending that could otherwise be used to fund treatment programs.
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=26179&ms=Sensen0505-hp
You've Been Drafted
Uncle Sam Wants You For the War On Drugs
Dear Le,
I want to thank the over 4,400 people who have sent emails to their Representatives opposing Congressman Sensenbrenner's draconian mandatory minimum sentencing bill. This bill is now garnering national attention.
This bill would have serious consequences for our democracy, requiring you to spy on all your neighbors, including going undercover and wearing a wire if needed. Refusing to become a spy for the government would be punishable by a mandatory prison sentence of at least two years.
We need your help to fight this bill, including†your ideas.
We†alerted you last week to the bill, entitled "Defending America's Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005î (H.R. 1528). Thousands of you have faxed Congress in opposition to the bill and weíve already raised $2,000 online to fight it. Thank you!
We already told you about many of the terrible provisions in this legislation, but we are especially concerned about a section of the bill that turns every American into an agent of the state. Hereís how it works:
If you ìwitnessî certain drug offenses taking place or ìlearnî that they took place you would have to report the offense to law enforcement within 24 hours and provide ìfull assistanceî in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the people involved. Failure to do so would be a crime punishable by a mandatory two year prison sentence.
Here are some examples of offenses you would have to report to the police within 24 hours:
--You see someone you know pass a joint to a 20-year old college student.
--Your cousin mentions that he bought Ecstasy for some of his college friends.
--You find out that your brother, who has kids, recently bought a small amount of marijuana to share with his wife.
--Your substance-abusing daughter recently begged her boyfriend to find her some drugs even though theyíre both in drug treatment.
In each of these cases you face jail time if you donít call the police within 24 hours. It doesnít matter if the offender is your friend or relative. It also doesnít matter if you†need 48 hours to think about it. You have to report the person to the government within 24 hours or go to jail. You also have to assist the government in every way, including wearing a wire if needed. Refusing to cooperate would cost you at least two years in prison (possibly up to ten).†† In addition to turning family member against family member, the legislation could also put many Americans into dangerous situations by forcing them to go undercover to gain evidence against strangers.
This is what weíre up against in Congress and, as I told you last week, itís not going to be easy. Sensenbrenner, the chair of the powerful Judiciary Committee, usually gets what he wants. Lots of people are afraid to challenge him. But we have a duty to our children to stop our country from turning into a police state. Iím sure you feel this duty, as well.
Hereís what you can do:
--If you haven't already, please†e-mail your member of Congress.
--Send us your creative ideas. How can we galvanize the American people against this bill?†Email us.
--If you didn't give money last week, please give today. Even $25 goes a long way (for instance, $25 will allow 100 voters to fax their members of Congress in opposition to this bill.)
--Submit a letter-to-the-editor to your local paper urging your member of Congress to oppose the bill.
--Send this email to everyone you know. Unless tens of thousands of Americans speak up this bill could become law. It's already passed out of subcommittee. The sponsor is now trying to line up the votes he needs to get it out of the full committee. From there it goes to the floor for a full House vote.
The provision that would turn Americans into spies is not the only thing wrong with this bill. Click here to read the full text of HR 1528 and learn more.
Sincerely,
Bill Piper
Director of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance
Learn More
Contact the Drug Policy Alliance:
Drug Policy Alliance
70 West 36th Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10018
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=26179&ms=Sensen0505-hp
You've Been Drafted
Uncle Sam Wants You For the War On Drugs
Dear Le,
I want to thank the over 4,400 people who have sent emails to their Representatives opposing Congressman Sensenbrenner's draconian mandatory minimum sentencing bill. This bill is now garnering national attention.
This bill would have serious consequences for our democracy, requiring you to spy on all your neighbors, including going undercover and wearing a wire if needed. Refusing to become a spy for the government would be punishable by a mandatory prison sentence of at least two years.
We need your help to fight this bill, including†your ideas.
We†alerted you last week to the bill, entitled "Defending America's Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005î (H.R. 1528). Thousands of you have faxed Congress in opposition to the bill and weíve already raised $2,000 online to fight it. Thank you!
We already told you about many of the terrible provisions in this legislation, but we are especially concerned about a section of the bill that turns every American into an agent of the state. Hereís how it works:
If you ìwitnessî certain drug offenses taking place or ìlearnî that they took place you would have to report the offense to law enforcement within 24 hours and provide ìfull assistanceî in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the people involved. Failure to do so would be a crime punishable by a mandatory two year prison sentence.
Here are some examples of offenses you would have to report to the police within 24 hours:
--You see someone you know pass a joint to a 20-year old college student.
--Your cousin mentions that he bought Ecstasy for some of his college friends.
--You find out that your brother, who has kids, recently bought a small amount of marijuana to share with his wife.
--Your substance-abusing daughter recently begged her boyfriend to find her some drugs even though theyíre both in drug treatment.
In each of these cases you face jail time if you donít call the police within 24 hours. It doesnít matter if the offender is your friend or relative. It also doesnít matter if you†need 48 hours to think about it. You have to report the person to the government within 24 hours or go to jail. You also have to assist the government in every way, including wearing a wire if needed. Refusing to cooperate would cost you at least two years in prison (possibly up to ten).†† In addition to turning family member against family member, the legislation could also put many Americans into dangerous situations by forcing them to go undercover to gain evidence against strangers.
This is what weíre up against in Congress and, as I told you last week, itís not going to be easy. Sensenbrenner, the chair of the powerful Judiciary Committee, usually gets what he wants. Lots of people are afraid to challenge him. But we have a duty to our children to stop our country from turning into a police state. Iím sure you feel this duty, as well.
Hereís what you can do:
--If you haven't already, please†e-mail your member of Congress.
--Send us your creative ideas. How can we galvanize the American people against this bill?†Email us.
--If you didn't give money last week, please give today. Even $25 goes a long way (for instance, $25 will allow 100 voters to fax their members of Congress in opposition to this bill.)
--Submit a letter-to-the-editor to your local paper urging your member of Congress to oppose the bill.
--Send this email to everyone you know. Unless tens of thousands of Americans speak up this bill could become law. It's already passed out of subcommittee. The sponsor is now trying to line up the votes he needs to get it out of the full committee. From there it goes to the floor for a full House vote.
The provision that would turn Americans into spies is not the only thing wrong with this bill. Click here to read the full text of HR 1528 and learn more.
Sincerely,
Bill Piper
Director of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance
Learn More
Contact the Drug Policy Alliance:
Drug Policy Alliance
70 West 36th Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10018