Sudden Outbreak of Common Sense

Huge majority wants Clapper prosecuted for perjury

"In the Democratic states of California and Hawaii, 54 percent and 58 percent of voters, respectively, want him prosecuted. In middle-of-the-road Iowa, it’s 65 percent. And in Republican Texas and Kentucky, it is 68 percent and 69 percent, respectively. These are particularly striking numbers because the 'not sure' numbers are relatively small. in this case, the polls show relatively few voters expressing such a sentiment. That suggests not only that the NSA story has seeped into the national consciousness, but also that people are specifically aware of — and disgusted by — the rampant lying by the Obama administration." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHuge majority wants Clapper prosecuted for perjury

New Zealand Regulates — Not Bans — Synthetic Drugs

"The Psychoactive Substance Act of 2013 creates a new government agency, the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority, to ensure that the new synthetics meet safety standards. The Authority is also charged with developing, implementing, and administering a licensing scheme for researchers, retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and importers. That means that instead of sending in SWAT teams to bust underground synthetic drug labs, New Zealand will allow the drugs to be legally manufactured under strict regulations. But those seeking to manufacture them legally will have to demonstrate that they pose a low risk to consumers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Zealand Regulates — Not Bans — Synthetic Drugs

Leahy Blocks Release of Some Mexican Drug War Aid

"Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, last week blocked the release of $95 million in funds destined to help Mexico prosecute its war on drugs, saying neither the US nor the Mexican governments had shown they had a clear strategy for moving forward. The money was appropriated as part of the Merida Initiative, a Bush-era plan to support the Mexican government's crackdown on the country's violent and powerful drug cartels. The Merida Initiative was a $1.4 billion, multi-year foreign assistance program, but it has had no appreciable impact on either the violence or the drug trade there." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLeahy Blocks Release of Some Mexican Drug War Aid

Is There a Perfect Storm for Federal Sentencing Reform?

"The Justice Safety Valve Act (Senate Bill 619), introduced in the spring, and the Smart Sentencing Act (Senate Bill 1410), introduced just last week, have better prospects of moving forward now than anything since the Fair Sentencing Act passed three years ago. That's because it's not just Democrats or liberals who are supporting them. The Justice Safety Valve Act, sponsored by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), has not only the usual suspects behind it, but also The New York Times, conservative taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist, and a group of 50 former prosecutors." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIs There a Perfect Storm for Federal Sentencing Reform?

Former Obama Supporter Oliver Stone: Obama Is A ‘Snake’; ‘We Have To Turn On Him’

"Film director Oliver Stone—who has made no secret of his liberal political views—called President Barack Obama a 'snake' for his role in National Security Agency spying programs that have become, he said, more about silencing protestors than finding terrorists. Stone said that admitted NSA leaker Edward Snowden 'is a hero to me. He sacrificed his well-being for the good of us all.' Stone also called Snowden a hero last month and said it’s 'a disgrace that Obama is more concerned with hunting him down Snowden than reforming these George Bush-style eavesdropping techniques.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Obama Supporter Oliver Stone: Obama Is A ‘Snake’; ‘We Have To Turn On Him’

Former narcotics officer: We terrorized families over a bag of pot

"'Searching the house, I noticed the kids had straight ‘A’ report cards, the parent’s checkbook was balanced, and I realized that something was amiss, something was really bad.' 'I put it together years later, after I started smoking pot,' he confessed. 'You know, a lot of people report that the use of that medication helps a person self-reflect. And, wow, the veil came off and then I started doing the real research for myself instead of believing the propaganda. And I cried for a year after I found out the truth and what I had been involved in.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer narcotics officer: We terrorized families over a bag of pot

As haze clears, are American opinions on marijuana reaching tipping point?

"When Washington and Colorado legalized pot -- with strict controls by established state agencies and a coherent tax structure -- opponents weren't able to raise the money to fight the initiatives. John Kane, a federal judge in Colorado, said in December he sees marijuana following the same path as alcohol in the 1930s. Toward the end of Prohibition, Kane explained, judges routinely dismissed violations or levied fines so trivial that prosecutors quit filing cases. 'The law is simply going to die before it's repealed. It will just go into disuse,' Kane said. 'It's a cultural force, and you simply cannot legislate against a cultural force.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAs haze clears, are American opinions on marijuana reaching tipping point?

Tiny Colorado city busy repealing laws during a ‘Year of Freedom’

"After a busy state legislative session, Glendale, Colo. — a one square-mile enclave of libertarianism surrounded by the city and county of Denver — has decided to focus on repealing laws rather than passing new ones. During what Mayor Mike Dunafon has called the 'Year of Freedom,' Glendale is revoking one vague, arcane or redundant law a month for 12 months. The first law stricken from the books on June 4 criminalized the sale, transfer or possession of an 'assault weapon,' which was vaguely defined in city code. The latest to land on the chopping block is one making it illtegal for minors to be in the same building as for-profit pool tables." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTiny Colorado city busy repealing laws during a ‘Year of Freedom’

Multiple New Polls Show Americans Reject Wholesale NSA Domestic Spying

"The poll revealed that Americans largely believe that the government has gone too far by a margin of 45% to 40%. This is a clear reversal from a January 2010 survey in which the same question found that 63% of voters believed the government didn’t 'go far enough to adequately protect the country.' In an Economist/YouGov poll, 56% of Americans do not think the NSA is telling the truth about the unconstitutional spying. The same poll found that 59% of people disapprove of the spying, while only 35% approve of it. A recent Fox News poll finds 62% of Americans think the collection of phone records is 'an unacceptable and alarming invasion of privacy rights.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMultiple New Polls Show Americans Reject Wholesale NSA Domestic Spying

Former Mexican President Launches Global Partnership With Pot Advocates

"Former Mexican President Vicente Fox met with cannabis advocates in San Francisco to announce the formation of an international partnership dedicated to decriminalizing and regulating pot. Fox has emerged as one of the most prominent voices pushing for marijuana legalization, publicly stating that he would grow the plant himself if he could. 'The cost of the war is becoming unbearable,' Fox said during a press conference announcing the alliance, noting that each day, 40 young people are killed in Mexico due to drug-related violence." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Mexican President Launches Global Partnership With Pot Advocates