Like Dallas, I am indifferent to immigration. I see this mentality played out more specifically in our nation’s current drug policies. The incarceration of over half a million non-violent drug offenders is responsible for our country having the highest prison population of any nation on earth. One reason why is because political hopefuls pander to the conservative “get tough on drugs” attitude in our country to get elected. Also, much of our national policy over the last seven years has been based on Christian conservative values, which by their very nature are authoritarian and repressive. We have wasted countless police man-hours and hundreds of billions of dollars convicting and imprisoning users and small-time drug dealers, instead of concentrating on apprehending the big-time drug kingpins of organized crime. They always get off scott-free because of their money.

There are several cheaper, more pragmatic, more effective models of drug policy already in existence that have proven themselves admirably. But so many people and institutions are being made wealthy by our nation’s current “war” on drugs, it will take an act of God to change it. So I guess I agree with Palmetto Patriot: the whole system needs a serious review.