Removing the Confederate Flag from Statehouses is Good but Ending the Slavery that it Represents is More Important

By jsager99

© Josh Sager – June 2015

Last week, several states—including South Carolina, Virginia and Alabama—removed the Confederate flag from their public buildings and are signaling their intentions to abandon the symbol for all state uses (ex. license plates). This is very encouraging and definitely a step by southern states towards distancing themselves from their racist histories.

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Unfortunately, the removal of the Confederate flag is a largely rhetorical gesture, given the fact that many of the same evils that the Confederacy stood for are alive and well—one of these is the institution of slavery.

Yes, slavery still exists in the United States today. While it isn’t as pervasive or brutal as it was in the past, slavery has survived the decades since its supposed abolition by moving into the prison population. In many states, inmates are forced to work at little or no pay and are horribly punished if they refuse or act up.

For example, three inmates in the Alabama prison system—James Pleasant, Melvin Ray, and Robert Council—are now facing punitive solitary confinement for the rest of their lives as punishment for the terrible offense of advocating for better working conditions and payment for prison laborers. They were non-violent labor leaders and merely advocated for work stoppages in prison labor if inmates weren’t paid and given basic worker protections.

Punitive solitary confinement in a cramped cell with poor ventilation and extreme heat is one of the punishments that was used in the old south to make an example of any slave to try to escape the plantation. It was effective then, and it is almost certainly still effective today—how many prisoners do you think are going to be willing to stand up for their rights now that they know the consequences?

Prison-Based Slavery

When the 13th Amendment was passed, it contained a loophole that allowed individuals who were convicted of crimes to be held as slaves. Here is the relevant text from section 1 of the Amendment:

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

At the time, this loophole made it possible for plantations, mining companies and other industries to “rent” prisoners for their labor from the state and gave racist southern states financial incentives to create “black codes” to criminalize newly freed slaves so that they could be leased to for-profit industry. Over the years, this system of profitized incarceration shifted to involve prison-industries (ex. license plates), expanded across race lines, and fused with the drug war.

No prison exemplifies this more than Louisiana’s Angola Penitentiary—the largest maximum security prison in the USA. Angola started out as a slave plantation and got its name due to the fact that most of the slaves there were from Angola, Africa. After the civil war, it was converted into a prison that primarily housed incarcerated African Americans who were rented out as disposable prison labor. Currently, little has changed, as Angola is still 78% African American and operates a variety of prison labor programs that generate millions in revenue/savings a year.

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Angola – The Plantation

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Angola – Convict Leasing Era

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Angola – The Prison

For more information on this process, watch PBS’s Slavery by Another Name documentary.

Many ex-Confederate states rely heavily on inmate labor for a variety of public works and revenue-generating functions. These types of labor split loosely into three categories:

  1. Prisoners are forced to work inside of the prison, cleaning, cooking, serving food, and performing other tasks that directly reduce institutional costs.
  2. Prisoners are forced to work for road crews and on public works projects (ex. trash cleanup, construction, road work, etc.), providing services that otherwise would be done by paid (often union) employees.
  3. Prisoners are forced to participate in inmate-labor programs that produce goods to be sold to state agencies (ex. office furniture for state universities) and sometimes on the market.

While some prisons claim that their labor programs are “optional,” the fact is that prisoners who refuse face being sent to solitary, denied programs (ex. drug treatment, education, etc.), or often being beaten by guards.

Conclusion

Removing the Confederate flag from state institutions is great, but it is far more important to uproot the institution of slavery that existed under that flag. Uncompensated prison labor and racialized policing are the direct continuation of the Confederacy’s desire to own and exploit certain segments of the American population.

USIncarcerationRatesbyState2010

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Prison labor allows states to incarcerate huge numbers of people without having to pay all of the associated costs. Prisoners defray a portion of their housing costs by working for the prison and state agencies gain access to cheap labor that lets them reduce their budgets (ex. using inmates to clean roads rather than hiring paid employees).

By focusing upon the visible legacy of the Confederate flag, we risk losing sight on what actually makes the symbol so toxic. Yes, that flag represents a hatred for the union of our nation and a desire to commit treason against the United States, but it’s most reprehensible aspect is its association with individuals who claimed the right to hold others as property. We must look past the visible symbol of this history and attack the real-life continuation of its ideology.

35 thoughts on “Removing the Confederate Flag from Statehouses is Good but Ending the Slavery that it Represents is More Important”

  3. Nonsense. Really? Comparing prisoner status to a slave ? Forgot that we are talking about felons here? Do you want to give them what? The minimum wage? What about forming a Union? Overtime pay ? You liberals are touching the apex of idiocy.

    Like

    • Watch the documentary that I link in the article to see the incremental transition and then tell me how the two are not related.

      …and yes, I would give prison laborers the minimum wage and benefits, both because that is the only moral thing and to prevent employers from leaving the private job market to exploit prisoners, thus eliminating decent jobs for Americans on the outside. If you hate outsourcing, you must despise prison-sourcing.

      P.S. yes, all of those evil non-violent drug offenders deserve to be forced to work. They are such a scourge on society that must be dealt with, right?

      Liked by 1 person

    • Keep in mind that a majority of prisoners suffer from mental illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, and that some of these are veterans. Just giving someone the label of “felon” doesn’t come close to telling the whole story for each of these individuals. Not to mention the number of poor people in jails, many of which have become debtor’s prisons.

      Do you realize how lucky you are to have been born white? Even if you refuse to believe it, the color of your skin can be the only difference between you and a “felon.” Why is it that conservatives refuse to face the facts?

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
    Removing it is the first step … the most difficult is removing all the feelings behind it, what it represents. The flag may be gone, but the ideology behind it remains in people’s hearts and minds.
    That’s another “pole” to climb!!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. This is one of the most thought-provoking, well-written posts I have some across. I hope you do not mind if I reblog this later this evening (I just posted and don’t want to overwhelm the Reader). I will also be sharing this on social media, if you don’t mind.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Reblogged this on My Friday Blog and commented:
    Let’s make this clear for everyone: Due to the racial bias involved in the totally unnecessary and barbaric drug war, prison labor is nothing more than a means of legal slavery onto a mostly non-white population.

    Please do not like or comment here but on original post.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Reblogged this on 1EarthUnited and commented:
    It’s shameful that a Prison-Based Slavery system still exist today.
    When the 13th Amendment was passed, it contained a loophole that allowed individuals who were convicted of crimes to be held as slaves. Here is the relevant text from section 1 of the Amendment:

    https://theprogressivecynic.com/2015/06/29/removing-the-confederate-flag-from-statehouses-is-good-but-ending-the-slavery-that-it-represents-is-more-important/

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Pingback: Removing the Confederate Flag from Statehouses is Good but Ending the Slavery that it Represents is More Important | 1EarthUnited

  10. So only “ex-Confederate states” operate prisons? Just what part of “duly convicted” do you not understand? Just whose restrooms, showers, dining rooms, sleeping, living and recreation areas do you think these offenders are cleaning? Just whose food do you think they are cooking and serving? Whose laundry do you think they are doing? I’ll give you a hint, THEIR OWN!

    It is not a crime to be a certain color. These men and women put themselves where they are because they committed CRIMINAL acts and were CONVICTED in a court of LAW!

    I have worked in four different correctional facilities and visited seven others during my 20 year career. How many have you visited? I have NEVER seen an offender being beaten (except by other offenders) or forced to work. The administrative and disciplinary segregation units are nothing like “the box” that was used to punish slaves. Caseworkers and medical staff conduct rounds and visit them daily. Unlike in the U.S. military brigs or stockades, people incarcerated in city, county, state and federal facilities can’t be punished by only being given “bread and water”. Convicted felons have access to telephones, mail and visitation providing that they obey the institutional rules. There is no way that abuse of an offender could go unnoticed and unreported. Furthermore, offenders ARE paid for work that they do in prison industries. These jobs are actually a privilege that they can earn and request. Offenders that are a low security risk can work outside the facility. Those jobs are particularly desirable.


    Do any of these offenders look like they have been tortured? How many black offenders do you see?

    The 2014 midterm elections are history, get over it already. This article is just another sad example of liberals grasping at straws. You have watched the Shawshank Redemption too many times. Try doing some actual research.

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    • No, not all prison labor is in confederate states, but they certainly use it far more than northern states and have even more disproportionate racial arrest rates.

      Ironically, you have chosen to post your nonsense on arguably the worst day, as a new report was just released following a set of juvenile inmates that demonstrates a small measure of the brutality of the system: http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/cruel-and-all-too-usual/

      Beyond that, the fact that you personally have never seen such abuse go on doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. It doesn’t matter how many videos of white inmates getting puppy therapy you post–such anecdotes don’t trick any fair-minded person given the flood of evidence on the other side.

      P.S. Hell, didn’t you read my article on the FL guards who boiled a mentally prisoner alive or even just the one where the SCOTUS decided that private prisons could insulate themselves from liability when they tortured inmates?

      Liked by 1 person

      • You didn’t answer my question. How many prisons have YOU personally visited? When did I say that incidents of brutality NEVER occur? I was just merely educating you to the fact that they are isolated incidents and not “business as usual” nationwide. The fact that the news report that you mentioned was released proves that such incidents can’t go unnoticed and ARE reported. The staff involved are a disgrace to us all and should be held accountable. Until you can speak from experience and not from emotion, don’t call my posts nonsense.

        It’s not entirely your fault. Until you were 11 years old, the only president you knew was Bill Clinton. Such a shame. You just remember that I was staring down murderers and rapists when you were still trying to decide which Power Ranger was your favorite. You should consider diverting from this self destructive liberal path you are following. You could very well be on your way to ending up in one of our fine institutions yourself.

        P.S. Here’s another video. This one shows female offenders from Nevada. Enjoy.

        Like

  11. A lot of prisoners ended up there by choice and poor decisions they made. I’m not saying all of them are guilty. Two of my exes ended up in there because they chose to steal and commit other crimes. I’m almost certain one of my exes wanted to be in prison because he wanted to avoid paying child support. He told me it was hard in there yet he didn’t want to shape up and work like other people. They already get away with not paying for food, healthcare, child support, an education and rent! Do I think they should be treated poorly in there? No. Unfortunately they are mistreated more often than we know. At the same time, they shouldn’t get minimum wage and benefits people from the outside get. Here I was on the outside trying to make it and my ex was in there asking me for money and cleaning. It’s not supposed to be fun and easy in there. I’m not judging anyone and saying anyone deserves disrespect. Shame on me for getting involved with them. I own up to what I did unlike several ‘men’ like my exes. My exes were the type of ‘men’ who always had to manipulate people and play the victim. I tried watching the video. It wasn’t for me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You need to remember that every job done by a person in jail for nothing is a job that is removed from the general job market–it is even worse than outsourced. This is a very simple economic reason not to support prison labor.

      From a purely ethical view, the idea that prisoners should be forced to choose between solitary confinement (a type of torture under international law) and working as a slave is simply wrong. Never mind this, the fact is that most of those inmates are non-violent offenders who are in jail for drugs or petty survival crimes.

      I can’t speak in detail to any individual case, your included, but under a fair system, your ex would be working at the bare minimum wage in jail and paying you your child support before he got commissary funds.

      Liked by 2 people

      • I can see where you are coming from however where do you think the money to pay them minimum wage would could from? Did I miss something here? Would tax payers or for profit corporations pay them? If it’s going to come from tax payers, the money would be better spent on more important things like schools and helping others who need it most. I’ve read stories that say more is spent on housing one prisoner vs. a public school student. Where is the logic in that? Like I said before, they don’t deserve disrespect but having a job in prison is a privilege, especially if they make ANY money. Getting an education in there is also a privilege. I don’t think they should make minimum wage, not even anything CLOSE to it. For whatever reason, they unfortunately lost their freedom going into prison, even if it was for petty crime. They even lose some of their rights when they come out like voting. They have a choice, either work in there or do solitary.
        Another choice would be staying out of there in the first place? Petty crime never pays so why do it in the first place? Get out of the hood and get a real job. A lot say they can’t find a job when they get out because some companies don’t hire felons, however there’s some that do too. They can either change their ways before getting caught or blame everyone else, like most do. What gets to me is when they use the race card as a defense and play the victim. There are good and bad people in every race. My two exes are Hispanic and they did petty crime. You pay, you play.

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      • First, you should probably know that a lot of the prison jobs are for big corporations–for example, telemarketing companies, processed foods, etc–and those profits are going to private entities. Yes, they pay the state for the right to enter the prison job market, but that is an irrelevant pittance.

        Second, you should know that education is one of the best ways to prevent people from going back into prison. It actually saves money in the long-run by reducing recidivism.

        Third, you, as a white woman (literally the least likely demographic to be harassed by the police or arrested) may see it as easy to just avoid being arrested, but that isn’t so easy if you are a black male living in the inner city. People are arrested for absolute nonsense, if nothing at all, and have little chance to break the cycle–their local economy is shot, they can’t pay the bills, and nobody is hiring them for a job that has a future.

        Read this and tell me what chance this kid had: https://theprogressivecynic.com/2015/06/12/teen-imprisoned-in-solitary-confinement-for-years-without-a-trial-kills-himself/

        Finally, if you think that the “pulling race card” is wrong, look at these two graphs:

        Liked by 1 person

      • I’ll take a look at it. I’m Latina myself, Mexican-American. Like I said before there are good and bad people, cops included. I’ve been pulled over by cops but did I blame them for what I did? No. I don’t condone the injustice that’s happened either. Just out of curiosity, (you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to) is your post based on your experience? Did any of this happen to someone close to you?

        Liked by 1 person

  12. It isn’t surprising that those who work in the prison industry view prisoners as deserving to be there, whether they suffer from mental illnesses, because their drug of choice happens to be illegal, or because they didn’t have adequate legal representation, if any. It isn’t surprising that prison workers defend their industry and everything that goes on behind very high walls and cages, hidden from public view. And I’m not surprised that someone who views this issue as a political one does not understand and is not willing to see the whole story.

    You can choose to be on the right side of history in agreeing that the drug war has been a disaster (but very lucrative for the prison industry), or you can continue to defend the indefensible, just like those who work in the oil and gas industry and against gay rights. No, this isn’t 2014, it’s 2015 — stop living in the past and join the future. Or keep flying that confederate flag and waiving your gun around.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Painkills2,

      Your comment indicates that either you or one of your loved ones has been or is currently incarcerated in a correctional facility. I have personally dealt with people who sound just like you countless times over the last 20 years. Are you even 20 years old? People who are convicted of a crime serious enough to risk a prison sentence most certainly DO deserve to be there. People who believe that they need a recreational “drug of choice” to temporarily alter their perception because they can’t deal with reality are a burden to society. A person who is serving a prison sentence for drug trafficking would probably agree with you that the drug war is a disaster. However, the parents of the teenager that died from an overdose after using drugs that were supplied by that convicted drug trafficker probably would feel that the war on drugs needs to be taken to the next level. You’re right, it is no longer 2014. You need to join the future and accept the fact that the Republicans are once again in control. The drug war will continue and so will our justice system that keeps us safe from people like this guy.

      P.S. I have NEVER lived in a southern state and NEVER owned a confederate flag, hat, T-shirt or anything else and I certainly do not waive any of my guns around. I have NOTHING against gay people. They comprise less than 3 percent of the U.S. population. I actually support letting them have the right to get married. Now the government can collect more revenue from marriage licenses and eventually from when they file for divorce.

      Like

  13. You’re right, Lisa, it doesn’t seem fair to pay prisoners minimum wage when people on the outside, also being paid minimum wage, have a hard to making ends meet. But just think, if your exes (and all the other men who have children to support), were paid minimum wage, then you might have seen some of that financial support. When men end up in our prison system, it’s like we’ve given up on them, including their ability to support themselves and their children. Not every prisoner is like your exes, trying to escape their responsibilities.

    And you have to understand the economics of cities that have nothing to offer people to support themselves except within the drug war. If young men can make $50,000 a year selling illegal drugs, why would they work at McDonald’s? How much child support do you think you would get from an ex who worked at Walmart?

    Like

  14. So you’re saying that if a person owes child support, then they should be allowed to sell drugs? When men or women end up in our prison system, they have given up on themselves. They knew where there choices would lead them, but they just didn’t respect themselves enough to care. By the way. People who work at Wal-Mart get health insurance and 10 percent off any purchases they make. Maybe it isn’t as lucrative a career as a drug dealer, but at least it is honest money.

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  15. When cancer and chronic pain patients do not have access to pain medications, then the drug war has gone too far. When pain patients can’t choose a safer alternative to prescription drugs, the drug war has gone too far. When the DEA prosecutes doctors for treating pain, the drug war has gone too far. When people promote and advocate for the drug war, it’s usually because they are profiting from it. Or are blinded by politics.

    When teenagers and young adults take drugs, they are not only experimenting as young people have always done (including with alcohol), but are usually trying to alter their perceptions of abuse and violence, or self-medicating for a mental illness that is undiagnosed and untreated. There are many reasons that people overdose from drugs, like a cruel lack of mental health services, but the drugs are not to blame. Unless you want to start blaming guns because of the people who abuse them.

    It’s the drug war that allows access to unregulated and risky drugs. It’s the drug war that kills people, not only in this country but all over the world. It’s those who advocate for the drug war that are partially responsible for those deaths, including the suicides of pain patients who see no other options for managing their pain except death. It’s people like you who politicize health care and feel that only some people deserve it who are responsible for these tragedies. Feel good about yourself, Mr. Republican?

    Like

    • You failed to answer my question. Are you even 20 years old? I informed you that I suspect that your less than positive attitude towards our justice system may be the result of past experience inside of or dealing with a correctional facility. You chose not to confirm nor deny that.

      When cancer or chronic pain patients do not have access to pain medications, that has NOTHING to do with the drug war. That is a failure of the health care system and is a result of pharmaceutical and insurance company greed. This is something that can easily be fixed by imposing federal regulations on the prices that medication producers and doctors can charge so that EVERYONE can afford care. There is NO safer alternative to prescription drugs. Certain drugs are called controlled substances for a reason. They are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE and if not administered properly under trained, clinical supervision, can be potentially FATAL! If your baby was teething, would you go out and buy crack from someone you did not know and just trust them when they say that their crack is safe? Maybe you would. The DEA arrests people, they do not prosecute people. Federal prosecutors prosecute people and they do not prosecute doctors for treating pain. They prosecute them for breaking the LAW, something that an honest and ethical physician would never do. Are you a fan of the late Michael Jackson by any chance? When people advocate for the unrestricted use of dangerous drugs, it’s usually because they are addicted to them themselves or perhaps profit from the illegal sale of drugs and want more people to become addicted and become potential customers. Or perhaps, they just have limited life experience and have no idea what they are actually supporting. You do realize that there are more illegal drugs out there than just marijuana don’t you?

      Are you one of the people pictured here?
      http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/slide-past-the-faces-of-meth#.lckRJPVxpe

      When teenagers and young adults take drugs or drink alcohol, they are usually caving in to peer pressure or just trying to emulate other people who they feel are popular. I have interviewed too many addicts to believe otherwise. How many have you spoken with? Drug overdoses occur for four reasons. The user is intentionally trying to commit suicide, the user has little experience with the drug and mistakenly uses too much, the user is already impaired and doesn’t realize just how much they are using or the drug was manufactured or packaged by an individual who prepared it in a manner that made it more lethal for the purposes of making it available for distribution more quickly or increasing the amount of their inventory. The reason why we have a drug war is because the overwhelming majority of people have common sense and do not use illegal drugs and never would. Some people just have a mental defect that prevents them from seeing the true dangers of illegal drugs and makes them think that marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, LSD and even alcohol is “medicine” that they need to live. Think about it. If most people thought as you do, we would have no drug laws or drug war, cartels would be even more wealthy since none of their shipments would ever be intercepted and none of their compounds would be shut down by our brave and dedicated men and women of law enforcement and deaths from drug overdoses would be a daily occurrence in every community. The drug war does not allow access to unregulated and risky drugs, it is meant to prevent that. Sadly, the drug war has claimed the lives of people on both sides. However, it is ultimately an effort to save people like you from yourself. Don’t even try to start any nonsense comparing illegal drug use to the Second Amendment.

      P.S. Thank you for calling me Mr. Republican. I consider it a compliment. Mr. American would also have been equivalent and yes, I DO feel good about myself.

      Like

      • Actually, the issue that is really relevant here is the over-prescription of certain pharmaceutical drugs that addict people and lead them to seek out illegal alternatives once they are unable to obtain the legitimate version–this is what helped spark the suburban opiate epidemic we are seeing today. While I have a hard time putting myself in these peoples’ shoes (I actually have an opiate immunity that renders me immune to most painkillers–when I destroyed my collarbone in martial arts, they prescribed my everything up to dilauded to no effect before they realized this), from what I have read, it is very hard to escape this trap. People get addicted because of careless doctors then get arrested when they can’t fight their addiction alone.

        The drug war, like prohibition, is a failed venture that should be ended immediately. Treat drug abuse as a medical issue rather than a criminal one and start mandating treatment for addicts rather than jail: https://theprogressivecynic.com/2014/03/10/how-and-why-the-usa-should-legalize-and-regulate-drugs/

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I could debate with both of you, point by point, to show you how wrong you are. I’ve been an intractable pain patient for 30 years, so believe me when I say I know what I’m talking about. (There, does that satisfy your curiosity about my age, Mr. Republican?) But I’m very tired, in constant pain with no access to any medications at all to manage it, and I’m unwilling to keep trying to educate people on things they know nothing about. Or perhaps only know a little bit about, but pretend they know more. Since both of you are spouting falsities, I’m inclined to think that you’re not interested in learning the truth. And with people like that, unfortunately, it’s only personal experience that will change their minds. (Kinda like the few Republicans who have gay people in their family and so are no longer against gay rights.)

    But I will say that there is no opioid “epidemic.” When you compare the number of people who take pain medications with the people who die by overdosing on them, it’s actually a minute percentage.

    https://painkills2.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/which-is-an-epidemic/

    https://painkills2.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/as-controlled-substance-use-rises-in-medicare-prolific-prescribers-face-more-scrutiny/

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m not going to argue that there aren’t people like you who truly need painkillers and should have easy access to them. That said, I live in Boston and am currently working for a health policy advocacy group–as such, I have see the statistics on opioid overdoses. In 2014 alone, over 1000 Massachusetts residents died of recreational opioid overdose, making it the most deadly drug in the state.

      In relation to ALL users, this number is very small, but looking at it as a function of recreational users shows just how dangerous the drug is. Additionally, a statistically worrying percentage of these deaths are young people who have had few interactions with the law.

      P.S. I would also argue that we have a firearm murder and sometimes alcohol abuse epidemic in this nation.

      Like

    • I don’t have to debate anything with you. I am right, you are wrong. You may know what you are talking about when the discussion is about pain. However, you don’t have a clue about the drug war. Legal and safe prescription drugs that are prescribed by licensed physicians and illegal recreational drugs that are sold or traded by criminals are two TOTALLY different things. It is unfortunate that you have fatigue and constant pain. However, I am curious as to why you have “no” access to “any” medications. Have you never worked and never had insurance? If you truly are in as much pain as you claim to be, you can file for disability. I am assuming that you live in the United States. Are you even an American citizen? How are you able to afford a computer and internet service? Maybe you should put your limited funds to better use.

      It is people like you that are not interested in learning the truth. I see the truth every day I go to work. You however are in your own little world where your alleged health condition has blinded you to the harsh reality of the bigger picture. I am not a doctor, but after reading your babble, I have to wonder if maybe you also require psychotropic medications. If you want to risk being robbed and or assaulted or murdered by a violent drug dealer or arrested while attempting to purchase illegal “medicine”, go right ahead. Maybe that would be for the best. In jail and in prison (yes, there is a difference between the two), at least you would finally have access to taxpayer funded healthcare and it would keep you off of the Internet. Just don’t try to go over the border and purchase your medication in Mexico. In their prisons, you can’t get Tylenol or even a Band-Aid.

      I advise you to move to Alaska, Oregon, Colorado or Washington. Your medicine is legal there and you don’t even have to bother yourself with any of those silly and inconvenient doctors, hospitals or pharmacists. I actually support the legalization of marijuana believe it or not. From what I have seen, it is responsible for less acts of violence than alcohol. It would really put a dent in the sales of other illegal drugs (although cocaine, methamphetamine, opium and other drugs would STILL be profitable)and the taxation of it would help the economy. Most importantly, it would help to keep liberals quiet at home and away from voting booths.


      This young man sure has a lot of energy for a terminally ill patient. You will notice that this occurred in the U.K. It isn’t just Americans that are fighting the drug war.

      At least you said one true thing when you typed about the “few” Republicans that have gay people in their family.

      It’s amazing what you can find if you only do a little research isn’t it?

      Best regards,

      Mr. Republican

      P.S. Have you been under the influence of some controlled substance this whole time?

      Like

  17. Pingback: There is no opioid epidemic | All Things Chronic

  18. The answers to your questions can be found on my blog — go to town, Mr. Old White Guy.

    Ignorance is not only very sad, it’s often very, very ugly. But don’t worry — ignorance and a conscious rarely go together, so you won’t suffer.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh, it sure looks like I hit a nerve. I’ll bet you felt THAT! Don’t worry, there is medication for what you are feeling right now and it’s called common sense. It is legal and doesn’t require a prescription. I suggest you get some.

      Like

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