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| A Crack House Divided |
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Posted by CN Staff on September 16, 2002 at 12:32:29 PT By Arianna Huffington Source: Arianna Online 
I feel nothing but sympathy and concern for Noelle Bush. Her latest stumble on the rocky road to recovery -- being caught with crack cocaine at a drug rehab center -- shows that she is in desperate need of help. As a parent, I can also easily empathize with the anguish Noelle's father, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, must be experiencing. And I'm in total agreement with his insistence that his daughter's substance abuse problem is "a private issue." But when I think about the heartless stance the Governor has taken toward the drug problems of those less-fortunate and well-connected than his daughter, my empathy turns to outrage. While Noelle has been given every break in the book -- and then some -- her father has made it harder for others in her position to get the help they need by cutting the budgets of drug treatment and drug court programs in his state. He has also actively opposed a proposed ballot initiative that would send an estimated 10,000 non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of jail. I guess what's good for the goose, gets the gander locked away. Of course, Jeb's wildly inconsistent attitude on the issue -- treatment and privacy for his daughter, incarceration and public humiliation for everyone else -- is part and parcel of the galling hypocrisy that infects America's insane drug war on every level. The latest example of this madness is last week's early morning DEA raid on a medical marijuana club in Santa Cruz, Calif., that caters to terminally ill patients. Although the hospice-style operation has been lauded by local law enforcement officials for its caring and ethical approach, federal agents stormed the place with guns drawn and chainsaws whirring -- leveling its pot garden, handcuffing ailing patients (including a paraplegic), and carting off its founder and director, Valerie Corral, a woman who has been called the Florence Nightingale of the medical marijuana movement. So much for the Bush administration's compassionate conservatism. And its conservative consistency. Back when he was running for president, candidate Bush declared that medical marijuana is a states' rights issue. "I believe," he said, "each state can choose that decision as they so choose." Although the mangled syntax makes it a little hard to tell exactly what the President was getting at, is it consistent with allowing John Ashcroft to order a holy-roller war against cannabis clubs in California, even though it is one of twelve states that have decriminalized the use of pot for medical purposes? Surely there has got to be a better use of our limited law enforcement resources than busting grievously ill cancer and AIDS patients searching for relief from their suffering. How about unearthing a terrorist cell or two? And the White House continues to bombard us with those offensive -- and expensive -- TV spots implying that youthful drug users like Noelle Bush are the moral equivalent of Mohammed Atta. Maybe her Uncle George can get her an audition for the next round of taxpayer-funded ads. Show her pulling some crack out of her shoe while saying, "I helped blow up buildings." Or does that kind of overheated and stigmatizing rhetoric only apply to those other, non-Bush-family youthful drug users? After all, a glaring double standard has been a hallmark of our nation's drug policy for decades. It's why African Americans make up only 13 percent of the country's drug users but 55 percent of those convicted of drug possession and 74 percent of those sent to jail on possession charges. And why the youthful indiscretions of the rich are routinely treated with a slap on the wrist and a ticket to rehab while poor kids are shipped off to prison. If America's drug laws were applied consistently, Jeb Bush and his family would be evicted from their publicly-funded digs, just as people living in public housing can be thrown out of their homes if any household member or guest is found using drugs -- even if the drug use happened someplace other than in the housing project. And Noelle could find herself joining the tens of thousands of young people unable to get a college education because of a provision in the Higher Education Act that denies financial aid to students convicted of possessing illegal drugs. But the rich and powerful are judged by a very different set of rules. That’s why the staff at Noelle's rehab center tore up a sworn statement incriminating Noelle even though the facility's standard policy is to turn all such matters over to the police. If, through her pain, Noelle Bush can help open her family's minds as well as their hearts and force them to rethink their disastrous drug policy, the nation -- and millions of young Americans in particular -- will owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude. I wish her much luck. Source: Arianna Online Related Articles: Drug-Treatment Staff Subpoenaed Delay in Noelle Bush Drug Case Counselor Finds Drug in Noelle Bush's Shoe Police: Noelle Bush Found With Drugs Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #7 posted by BuzzC on February 26, 2004 at 14:59:03 PT |
| hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite. That's Jeb Bush in a nut shell. Click on my link to see the whole story...
Arianna ROCKS!!!!! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by The C-I-R-C-L-E on September 17, 2002 at 20:22:15 PT |
| "Show her pulling some crack out of her shoe while saying, 'I helped blow up buildings.' " Nuff' said. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by PonziScheme on September 16, 2002 at 21:04:28 PT |
| 12 states have enacted some sort of decriminalization of marijuana for NON-medical use. Nine states (those you correctly mentioned) have enacted laws regarding the use of MEDICAL marijuana since 1996. Looks like Arianna just got confused, in an otherwise excellent piece. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by p4me on September 16, 2002 at 16:19:17 PT |
| Although the mangled syntax makes it a little hard to tell exactly what the President was getting at, is it consistent with allowing John Ashcroft to order a holy-roller war against cannabis clubs in California, even though it is one of twelve states that have decriminalized the use of pot for medical purposes? I cannot figure out what 12 states she is talking about. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington are 9. Wasn't it Vermont that appointed a commission to work on a plan that they said would lead to MMJ in the next legislature? Those laws are not passed though. And how can you count Illinois although it seems they deserve honorable mention. I just checked the US Census estimate for July 1,2001 and that is why the 9 states are listed in alphabetical order. The census figures indicate a population in those states of 58,939,049 out of a US total of 284,796,887 or 20.7%. California was 34,501,130. I thought the number 1 issue in the November election was health care. The executive branch is too much like a telivision netword orchestrating events and scripting lines, and assigning speaking parts, with all the backdrops of Hollywood. If dddd had not died or return to outer space he would call it all theatre. You know the flack jacket shots of Busch on all of the military bases and pushing the number 1 show of the war on terror and avoiding or suppressing debate on all other notable topics by ignoring them. I have to insert that they cannot let Busch talk without a script. If anyone that saw "This Week" last Sunday when Busch tried to paint the Democrats black by trying to talk about going to the UN for approval of what was US security would agree. It is a wonder the Republicans don't shout that the video was selected to make Busch look bad because it was totally humiliating. But in fairness, I have read that he may be dyslexic and that could certainly explain why he has such a hard time talking as in Arianna's example of a mangled syntex when Busch lied about respecting states views on MMJ. So, I am not just bashing Busch and he is not a moron, but I certainly question his intellegence and knowledge to be president. Not only have I questioned it I have my own answer. But really I wanted to just to bring up health care, because it what is driving half of the bankrupcies in the country and MMJ deserves a place in that debate if the White House would stop their theater and talk about solutions to real problems, especially the number 1 problem which is health care. Andrew Weill got a piece added to the health section at AARP.org, which is a pathetic website for such a huge organization. There coverage of MMJ is abysmal for such a group of seniors that are highly concerned about health issues. Anyway, Dr. Weill used the word collapsed in regards to the current system. The whole issue is being silenced much less MMJ in context of that problem. I really enjoy Arianna's work and that is why I have an interest in what she meant by 12 states. 23 hours until the show down in Santa Cruz. Start the fire, and millions will fan the flames. 1,2 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by AlvinCool on September 16, 2002 at 15:08:57 PT |
| Dr. Russo,
I spent several months living in Europe and I can say, although I hate it, that european people debate while Americans scream their point of view. That, for some part, is why her writings are to the point. They are not completely her point of view but her view tempered with intelligent views from others. Americans hardly ever listen, which is why we are where we are today. Just my point of view from personal experience. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on September 16, 2002 at 13:04:56 PT:
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| Arianna takes common sense to a higher plane. Although you would not necessarily know it from the excellence of her writing, she was born abroad, and unfortunately, could never run for President. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by druid on September 16, 2002 at 12:39:04 PT:
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| Another fine column from Arianna. She seems to always hit the point just right. I really enjoy reading her commentaries. I like the way the article starts off and how she wraps things up and concludes with a very nice statement. If, through her pain, Noelle Bush can help open her family's minds as well as their hearts and force them to rethink their disastrous drug policy, the nation -- and millions of young Americans in particular -- will owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude. She speaks the truth [ Post Comment ] |
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