Ex-Drug Officer Shows Users How to Avoid Arrest

NPR ^ | October 31, 2007 | by Wade Goodwyn

[tupac]

When I hear the pros and cons about drug legalization I still have not heard anything that makes me change my mind that drugs are dangerous and should not be legalized. Even marijuana has permanant and serious affects on the user. Legalizing because it’s a hassle to uphold the law and everyone does it seems to be the wrong reasons.

[MeanWestTexan]

This is still big news in West Texas -— he was very high profile out here and the hurt feelings are still raw.

[Riodacat]

[Landru]

"'We would pull over cars that had college bumper stickers, because we knew college kids often partied with marijuana,' Cooper says. 'We would pull over 'Vietnam Vet' plates, because a lot of our vets developed a habit over there...I feel bad about it,' he admits. 'I would look for Mexicans. I would look for black people. It works.'"

Well bud, there ya have it.
Confessions of a fascist, from its own lips.

...oh my white brother.

[rhombus]

I can’t imagine a guy busting up his own family because he wants to smoke dope.

I don't think many people know the laws are so easy for the cops and courts to abuse. I expect these laws were passed at the height of emotional hysteria... as many bad laws are.

Any sane person has to be asking, "where does it end"? When they came for my neighbor I said nothing... how long until they come for you?

[TankerKC]

Or driving while in uniform in most any town that has a substantial Army base.

Amen, I've been hit that way too. Might I add driving with out of state plates to the list? They know you won't/can't come back to fight the ticket.

[rhombus]

"I would look for Mexicans. I would look for black people. It works."

Oh sure, profiling to catch pot smokers but oh, no don't profile to catch Islamic fascists.

[Teacher317]

For those traveling by car, the video recommends taking their pet cat along, because the K-9 won't stop trying to play with the cat, even if it's taken out of the car.

I'ev seen plenty of well-trained dogs ignoring a passing feline.
Otherwise, how would any helper-dog be trusted with the blind?

Sure, maybe not THESE dogs, but...

[AppyPappy]

I know people who feel the same about speeding laws. I don’t think the crime problem in urban areas is caused by drugs. I think the drug problem is caused by crime. People say “I don’t care if it is illegal, I am going to do it anyway”. That will be true of anything. Some stores are refusing to sell 40’s in the hood because there is so much crime associated with them. And 40’s are legal.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Sounds like this guy didn’t so much have a battlefield revelation, but was more interested in dicking the people who he felt dicked him over. Still, maybe one day he’ll see the light.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Even marijuana has permanant and serious affects on the user.

Indeed; even such a lofty notion as "love" has both permanent and serious effects on its users.

[PreciousLiberty]

“Have to wonder how much revenue a pot tax would generate.”

One hopes it’d be $0.00, since the right thing to do is legalize cultivation (and gifting/barter) but not sales. There would still be a tremendous windfall to society, since the cost of marijuana enforcement and destroyed lives would be saved. I sure don’t think we need “Big Marijuana” companies to go along with “Big Tobacco”.

It amazes me how many “small government Republicans” advocate higher taxation.

[sweet_diane]

"Even marijuana has permanant and serious affects on the user. Legalizing because it’s a hassle to uphold the law and everyone does it seems to be the wrong reasons."

Re: the effects to users. That debate is still ongoing within the scientific community and way over my head. My mother still believes marijuana sends you on a 'trip' like LSD and "makes white women sleep with jazz musicians". I believe many still believe much like she.

I don't believe it is a hassle to enforce any law. I do believe that the 'War on Pot' places an unnecessary burden on society. I also believe that burden would not be increased by the decriminialization of marijuana. That is my opinion from my personal life observances within the recovery/rehab community and aside from that community. (in other words, I can't cite a source. lol)

I would like to see LE even more focused on ridding society of, what I believe to be, the worst illegal drug wreaking havoc on our society, methamphetamines. 40 and 50 yr olds who never did drugs other than alcohol are getting involved with this crap. I don't know the stats, but I wouldn't be surprised if it causes as much or more harm than all the other elicit drugs combined. Sorry to go on so long!

[Mariner]

bookmark

[montag813]

"We would pull over cars that had college bumper stickers, because we knew college kids often partied with marijuana," Cooper says. "We would pull over 'Vietnam Vet' plates, because a lot of our vets developed a habit over there."

Damn what a waste of police resources. Going after mere users? Disgraceful.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

I think of this as pre-emptive jury nullification. Federal drug laws have no Constitutional authorization and should be scrapped. Prohibition doesn’t work. And Prohibition was at least properly authorized by an Amendment... and shut down the same way a few years later, after its folly was acknowledged. Time for us to do the same.

[thefactor]

i've read about this guy. and i work with guys like him. never should have been cops in the first place. single-minded to the task of ruining people and absolutley no sense of decency. their only motivation is to make a name for themselves one way or another. everyone else is against them. total paranoia.

if he wants to make a tape, fine. when people have drugs and get stopped by the cops they cannot help the way they act. i don't care if you have 10 cats in the car. your eyes will shift, your hands won't stop moving, you won't breath normal, you'll say "um" 5 times a sentence. you can't teach people how to remain calm when they think they are going to jail.

[Constantine XIII]

I LOL’D

[sweet_diane]

"Time for us to do the same."

I agree, yet how? What politician with any credability can or will speak out for, at the very least, the decriminialization of marijuana? I too am supporting Thompson for President (probably) and I have enormous respect for Clarance Thomas. Yet I believe I've read that both do not support decrim of any sort. Looks like Ron Paul is the only one, and for me he is not an option.

I read back in '79 or '80 that the cig companies were prepared to begin packaging marijuana for commercial consumption "within 10 years". This is not a new topic, yet the only place I see it discussed with any rationality is on these threads (before they are hijacked by irrationability).

[rhombus]

Sounds like this guy didn’t so much have a battlefield revelation, but was more interested in dicking the people who he felt dicked him over.

Do dicks become cops or do cops become dicks? OK, OK, I know, some of my best friends are cops, laying their life on the line, if you ever need protection... ;-)