War on Drugs
By Rainbow Williams
In 1971 then president of the united states of America Richard Nixon declared a war this was-wasn’t on how to eradicate poverty or to build the minds of American youths through raising policies about education. The way he declared was the was the war on drugs in which back in those days the American government was benefitting from. Most people think of the Watergate scandal when the conversation of Mr. Nixon comes up in history, However there was something else occurring behind the same doors and walls of the same White House. And that was how to eradicate and neutralize a certain class on individuals and now 40 plus years later people are still paying for it.
This past week a book came to light by a man name John D Ehrlichman, Mr. Ehrlichman was a former aide of Mr. Nixon in this book he discussed many things about the Nixon administration. And the description would be that of a tell all memoir which was written in 1996 and pushed to the side in 1999. Now today this book comes about and the debate of what really was going back then has resurfaced. bringing those that protected the policy and those such as political activist and other social activist to question those policies that where mandated back in the 70’s and most Black, Brown and white political voices are saying i told you so, and the proof is in the pudding, thought the new slave tool called mass incarceration. Starting from the 70’s and on down the road decade is later something occurred. Where the politicians became so hard nose that they couldn’t understand the stark reality of that in which they were doing under the pretenses of justice, claiming that they where listening to the rallies and cries of the people and trying to do something about the drug epidemic in the communities of America. Doing their Job so they say and in the same instance perpetuation the break down of those same communities also. And the strategies they used were greatly unheard of at the time and the practiced are still used today. Even with the recent changes in this country pertaining to non violent drug offenders its about time for this to happen. But lets not forget that what was done for the last 45 years can not be undone over night, Homes are broken, men and women have withered away in some of these prison. And some have even given up hope. Too many children have grown up without a mother or father and in some cases both due to this so called war on drugs..
In the book Mr. Ehrlichman discussed and explained the agenda of this so called war. He claims that this war was to serve two different purposes, (1) to crush any and all organizations that posed a threat or gave any resistances to the American government in any way shape or fashion. During those years the Black liberation army and many other groups that existed was being attached in a great form. And the tactics where this of the government to disrupt any and all meeting of any form by using agent provoke and introducing narcotics to those in the organization and even framing those who they couldn’t find anything to bring on them. For most the only crime was that they tried to uplift the community and look for something better. So they government found away to lock up all the leaders of these organizations claiming them to be drug dealers.
They also tried to criminalize the hippies of those time who’s only rallying was peace and happiness. Even though they had an unconventional way of expressing it at the time, We are looking at two different entities with the same purpose and that was to establish peace. And uplift their communities. All in the cause of the war on drugs. The same was that they aided and assisted in through the Iran and Nicaragua contras by trading drugs for guns and other proceeds to further wars here and abroad. however using the slogan the war on drugs which today the people fully understand that it was a war on the black, brown, white, and poor of this country
