The War is becoming the civil rights issue of our time. The War incarcerates African-American men and women at much higher rates than whites. Shockingly, thirteen percent of the total black male population of the U.S. is now ineligible to vote, mostly because of the War. In recent years, a new offensive in the 40 billion dollar war against drug users has been launched against women. Since mandatory minimums have been enacted, the number of women in prison has exploded.
Women are the fastest growing and least violent segment of the prison and jail populations.
A large majority of the women in federal prisons are there for non-violent violation of the drug laws. And it goes almost without saying that African-American and Hispanic women are imprisoned at much higher rates than white women. It is Orwellian that the government has been using our money to bribe television, magazine, and newspaper producers to promote the War while at the same time trying to chill opposition to the War with legislation that would make the very discussion of peaceful drug use a criminal offense. It is time for Peace.